Milwaukee Brewers: 4 Potential Starting Pitcher Trade Targets
By Kenny Jilek
Zac Gallen – Arizona Diamondbacks
Zac Gallen burst onto the MLB scene in 2019, pitching himself to an ERA of 2.81 in 15 starts. He’s followed that up with six very strong starts to begin this season with a 2.25 ERA. He also has the most ability to go deep into games and he’s pitched 36 innings in six starts, averaging six innings pitched per start.
Gallen has also improved his command this season, going from 4.1 walks per nine down to 3.0 this year so far, and is allowing slightly fewer hits as well. This has all added up to a fantastic 1.056 WHIP.
Gallen has been great, not just in terms of traditional stats, but he has been an analytics darling as well. His Statcast numbers of opposing exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, expected ERA, expected batting average, expected slugging percentage, strikeout percentage, and whiff percentage are all above the 70th percentile and many are above 80th percentile. He uses a four-pitch mix of four-seam fastball, cutter, changeup, and curveball, throwing them all at least 17.9 percent of the time. That mix keeps hitters on their toes and makes it tough to guess what he’ll throw next.
Gallen’s contract situation is the most desirable for teams to possess, with two full years of team control following 2020, before three years of arbitration starting in 2023. This, along with the fact that the Diamondbacks traded for Gallen just last year, makes it a tough proposition to trade for him.
Even so, with Gallen’s success, backed by analytical performance, he’s the kind of guy you go all-in on to make a trade because he could be a stud here for the next five years without getting any kind of real big money. It’s tough to know if the Milwaukee Brewers even have the ammunition to get Gallen in a trade without making Josh Hader the focal point of their offer, but if Gallen has this kind of success for years to come, even that could be worth it.
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Do you think any of these pitchers are viable trade targets for the Milwaukee Brewers at this trade deadline? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter @DairylandXpress.