Zac Gallen named Opening Day starter for Diamondbacks
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Arizona Diamondbacks are leaning on their veteran ace pitcher as Opening Day creeps closer.
On Thursday, the team announced that Zac Gallen will be taking the mound for the Diamondbacks’ home opener against the Chicago Cubs.
“Zac Gallen will be our Opening Day starter. I spent a lot of time on it and just felt like reasons that I can probably give you, reasons that I won’t want to give you. I just had a long, hard conversation with the people inside of my circle and some outside my circle as well,” said Torey Lovullo, D-backs manager.
Some believed the D-backs would lean on newcomer Corbin Burnes to start the season. He signed the biggest contract in franchise history this past offseason — a six-year, $210 million deal.
“I took my time with it; I was trying to be as thorough as possible. I felt like I wanted to be fair to all parties involved and not make a quick decision. If I chose Zac early, I didn’t get the chance to know Corbin. I wanted to give myself a chance to get to know Corbin as much as possible,” Lovullo said. “I think I sliced the pies thinly as I could. And yeah, I’m going to say that was the main difference between the two. They’re both elite pitchers. They’re both unbelievable teammates.”
Lovullo said the decision came down to a matter of tenure with the team.
“At the end of the day, Zac’s been here for a long time. I had a very strong bond with Zac. He’s seen some darkness here, he’s come out the other end. And I’ve just known him a long time, and I’ve relied on him in a different way that I will eventually know I’m going to rely on Corbin. I just haven’t gotten there yet,” he explained.
Gallen has been with the Snakes since 2019 and played a critical role in helping the team reach the 2023 World Series. That year, Gallen finished 3rd in NL Cy Young voting, the award given to the top pitcher. He went 17-9 and finished with 220 strikeouts.
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