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13th Annual D-Backs Celebrity Golf Classic at Talking Stick Golf Club
Arizona Diamondbacks talk about their hunger for golf and the season after losing in the 2023 World Series.
Right-hander Zac Gallen said there’s nothing new about his contract situation, but the Diamondbacks ace said Friday that the club’s World Series appearance and the Valley’s reaction to it have made him consider Arizona even more desirable. He suggested that it may have been. long term destination.
“I love it here,” Gallen said. Gallen will not be eligible to become a free agent until the end of the 2025 season. “Especially since we’ve had success, it’s proven that there’s an energy for baseball here and the fans want to win here. I love it here. That’s where I am. They If they want to decide to do something, that’s great, but let’s sit back and figure it out and see what happens. Nothing is being done at the moment.”
Speaking before the club’s charity golf tournament at the Talking Stick Resort, Gallen acknowledged that the Diamondbacks haven’t generated as much excitement for fans in recent years, but expressed his concern for the team’s postseason performance. He said he was encouraged by the passionate response he received.
Gallen usually had nothing but good things to say about Arizona State, but on Friday he seemed more enamored with the state than ever.
“Basically, it’s good to confirm that there is life out there,” Galen said. “That’s good. We’re both athletes and (for lack of a better word) performers. We want to play in front of a crowd. We want the energy. Just having a good performance in front and playing makes your job even more fun, and I think that helped us in the playoffs.
“I could see a lot of people coming out. When we played the Dodgers, and it’s no secret when we play the Dodgers, there’s a lot of Dodgers fans here, but (National League Division Series) against the Dodgers, when you look at it, I think it was more red than blue. I did. We have fans. ” It was very nice to watch. ”
Gallen said he spent almost a full month this offseason being recognized and accosted by appreciative Diamondbacks fans every time he left the house.
Last week, Gallen and the Diamondbacks avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract worth just over $10 million.
The club and Gallen, who is represented by high-profile agent Scott Boras, are not known to have held any meaningful long-term contract discussions.
The cost of starting pitching continues to rise and Gallen’s growth among his peers (a recent MLB Network poll ranks him as the No. 3 starting pitcher in baseball) ), there is a possibility that he could get a huge contract on the open market. It remains to be seen whether the Diamondbacks intend to spend that kind of money.
Gallen pitched 210 innings last season with a 3.47 ERA and finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting. He was fifth in 2022.
Gallen said he hopes the Diamondbacks’ postseason success is not a one-time thing.
“I want this to be sustainable and not just, ‘Oh, we can make the playoffs once every few years,’” Gallen said. “We want this to be a place where you go, ‘Okay, that team is trying to make the playoffs and they have a really good chance.'”
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