PHOENIX (AP) — Right-hander Zac Gallen has agreed to a $22,025,000, one-year contract to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed Friday night.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical.
The 2023 All-Star, a client of agent Scott Boras, was seeking a multi-year contract, but after nothing acceptable materialized, he's coming back to the desert where he's spent the majority of his big league's career.
MLB.com first reported Gallen and the D-backs were close to a deal. The value of the contract is equal to the qualifying offer that Gallen turned down in November after he become a free agent. He was the last player to reach a deal among the nine free agents who had turned down qualifying offers.
Gallen had his worst season in the big leagues in 2025, finishing with 13-15 record with a 4.83 ERA and an 8.2 strikeout rate per nine innings, the lowest of his career. But his velocity was still good and he performed better after the All-Star break with a 3.97 ERA over his final 13 starts. He had a $13.5 million salary.
The 30-year-old was one of the best pitchers in the National League from 2022-24, finishing fifth in the Cy Young Award voting in 2022 and third in 2023.
He was the ace for the D-backs in 2023, going 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA, as they made a surprise run to the World Series before losing in five games to the Texas Rangers.
Gallen was selected in the third round of the 2016 amateur draft by the St. Louis Cardinals after playing in college at North Carolina. He was traded to the Marlins in 2017 and made his big-league debut with the organization in 2019 before being traded again to the D-backs in a deal that sent Jazz Chisholm Jr. to Miami.
Overall, Gallen is 66-52 with a 3.58 ERA in seven major league seasons.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
FILE - Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen works against a San Diego Padres batter during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull,File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anton Forsberg made 27 saves in his third shutout of the season, and the Los Angeles Kings greatly bolstered their playoff chances with a 1-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
Artemi Panarin scored on a first-period breakaway in the regular-season home finale for the Kings (34-26-19), who won their fourth straight game and moved three points clear of their nearest competitor for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is also just two points behind Vegas and Anaheim for third place in the Pacific Division.
Forsberg earned his 11th career shutout while LA throttled the high-powered Oilers, who have knocked the Kings out of the playoffs in each of the past four postseasons. They also shut down NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid, who was left visibly frustrated after being called for two minor penalties, including a key holding call with 5:33 to play.
Connor Ingram stopped 19 shots for the first-place Oilers, who failed to get the one point necessary to clinch their seventh consecutive playoff spot.
This loss means Vegas and Anaheim both have the opportunity this weekend to leapfrog the two-time defending conference champions for the top spot in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights face Colorado on Saturday night and the Ducks host Vancouver on Sunday.
Edmonton played without injured forward Jason Dickinson and lost forward Max Jones to an undisclosed injury during the game.
Forsberg might have unseated Darcy Kuemper as the Kings’ first-choice goalie for the postseason after yet another strong performance down the stretch combined with Kuemper’s noticeable struggles since returning from the Olympics.
The victory might have been the final home game for retiring Kings captain Anze Kopitar, but the victory makes that much less likely.
Fans still serenaded Kopitar with chants of “Kopi! Kopi!” after the final horn.
Kopitar took the microphone and teared up while he thanked the fans, saying: “We’re going to do our absolute best to come home for a couple more games in the playoffs, that’s for sure.”
Panarin did all of the scoring in the first period by stripping the puck from Evan Bouchard at the Kings' blue line and skating away for a top-corner breakaway. Panarin has nine goals since joining the Kings in a trade with the Rangers.
Oilers: Host Colorado on Monday.
Kings: At Seattle on Monday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid shoots during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid moves the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, left, moves the puck against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin, second from right, celebrates with center Anze Kopitar (11), right wing Adrian Kempe (9), and defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
