Free agency has a funny way of making baseball teams forget what year it is. A player puts together a few good-to-great seasons, builds a reputation as one of the best at his position, and suddenly finds himself getting paid for accomplishments that happened three years ago.

The San Francisco Giants would be wise to avoid falling into that trap this offseason, especially when it comes to former Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen.

There was a time when Gallen was among the most dependable pitchers in baseball. He finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2023 and helped Arizona reach the World Series, becoming one of the more recognizable arms in the division.

Three years later, that version of Gallen feels like a distant memory.

An Expensive Name With Disappearing Production

Gallen’s decline has been downright ugly.

After posting a 4.83 ERA in 2025, he returned to Arizona on a one-year, $22.025 million contract, presumably hoping to rebuild his value before entering free agency again.

Instead, everything got worse.

The 31-year-old finished 2026 with a 6.07 ERA across 105 1/3 innings, allowing 71 earned runs while striking out just 64 batters. His 1.547 WHIP was another alarming figure — a career high — especially considering he had been one of the National League’s most effective starters not all that long ago.

An elbow injury complicated matters further, sending Gallen to the injured list in July. He ultimately made just 20 starts, a substantial decline from the 33 he made the previous season.

San Francisco Needs More Than Name Recognition

The Giants have every reason to pursue starting pitching this winter. Logan Webb provides a foundation, but injuries have absolutely devastated the organization’s depth. The lack of available arms has left president of baseball operations Buster Posey with a rotation that resembles a construction site more than a finished product.

Gallen might be tempting because of his previous success, especially if his disastrous season drives down his asking price. But San Francisco has already experienced the consequences of investing heavily in players who struggle to meet expectations.

There is a scenario where Gallen makes sense. A relatively inexpensive, short-term contract would give him a chance to recover his value without putting the Giants on the hook for another expensive commitment.

Anything beyond that starts to feel like an unnecessary gamble.

The Giants don’t need somebody who was great in 2023. They need pitchers who will be good in 2027, 2028, and 2029. Gallen hasn’t provided much recent evidence that he belongs in that category.