NL West division rival may not be able to bring back a pair of SF Giants targets

The SF Giants have checked in on Zac Gallen, and been lightly connected to Merrill Kelly this offseason. They may be able to rule out one suitor for both, as reuniting with either pitcher might be out of the Arizona Diamondbacks' price range.

NL West division rival may not be able to bring back a pair of SF Giants targets

Earlier this week, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo joined Arizona Sports 98.7 FM to discuss the offseason. He was asked about Gallen and Kelly, saying that they are "getting a little bit too big for what we can take care of."

Arizona has relayed its plans to scale back on payroll in 2026. They had been one of the more aggressive terms in free agency in recent seasons. This includes landing Eduardo Rodríguez, Jordan Montgomery, and Corbin Burnes. Plus, Madison Bumgarner's five-year deal ran through the 2024 season.

They have not exactly seen the return on investment from these deals. The rationale behind these moves was to stay competitive after reaching the World Series in 2023. Unfortunately, they have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

The Diamondbacks still have a core that can compete, including Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Geraldo Perdomo. However, the pitching side could take a step back, with Burnes likely to miss much of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2025.

Arizona traded away Kelly at the trade deadline, but held onto Gallen. They issued him a qualifying offer earlier in the offseason. Not surprisingly, he rejected it.

The qualifying offer could impact some of Gallen's market, and that could even extend to San Francisco. The Giants have signed three players who have rejected qualifying offers in recent seasons. This includes Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Willy Adames.

At some point, the cost of losing a draft pick and signing capital starts to hurt. The Giants would need to weigh that with Gallen, but Kelly was not eligible to receive one.

Regardless, the Giants need at least two starting pitchers this offseason. They have conveyed reluctance to signing a pitcher to a nine-figure deal this winter. However, there is still a path to building a quality rotation with more moderately-priced pitchers, and Kelly is on that list. If the Giants target either Gallen or Kelly, Torey Lovullo seems to suggest that the Diamondbacks might not be in the mix.