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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 11: Manager Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates in the locker room after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in Game Three of the Division Series at Chase Field on October 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks have actively been searching to remedy what was one of the worst bullpens in baseball last year. They brought back an old friend to try to fix this.
The Diamondbacks have signed reliever Paul Sewald to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
This is one of the two major league signings that Arizona has made this offseason to remedy its bullpen. Taylor Clarke was the other.
With Andrew Saalfrank’s season-ending injury, high-leverage relief spots are now more open than ever. Having experience as a closer (86 career saves) certainly helps, but Sewald will have to work for it.
What Does Sewald Bring to the Arizona Diamondbacks?
The New York Mets drafted Sewald in the 10th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of the University of San Diego.
With the Mets, Sewald struggled to a 5.50 ERA across four seasons. He was granted free agency after the 2020 season, signing with the Seattle Mariners.
His career would take off with Seattle, immediately becoming a closer on the team. In 2021, he would pitch to a 3.06 ERA with 11 saves. In 2022, he would have a 2.67 ERA with 20 saves.
During the 2023 season, he was pitching to a 2.93 ERA and 21 saves with the Mariners before being traded to Arizona in exchange for Dominic Canzone, Josh Rojas and Ryan Bliss.
With Arizona, Sewald had a 3.57 ERA and 13 saves in the regular season. In the postseason, Sewald would help lead the Diamondbacks to the World Series, clinching the final outs in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies, ultimately falling to the Texas Rangers.
Sewald would accumulate six saves during that run, but would struggle to a 5.40 ERA because of costly mistakes in the World Series.
Sewald spent 2024 with Arizona, but struggled to a 4.31 ERA and 16 out of 20 saves. He would enter free agency in 2025, signing with the Cleveland Guardians.
Between the Guardians and Detroit Tigers, Sewald would pitch to a 4.58 ERA in 22 games, missing a good portion of the season due to shoulder issues.
Where Does Sewald Fit on This Diamondbacks Team?
The Diamondbacks’ bullpen is barren as of now. AJ Puk and Justin Martinez are coming off Tommy John surgery and may not pitch until after the All-Star Break.
With the latest on Saalfrank, Sewald will more than likely be a high-leverage reliever. Most of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen has little to no experience or is on minor league deals.
Others that could compete for high-leverage roles are Kevin Ginkel, Kade Strowd and Ryan Thompson.
Otherwise, the closer role is wide open. Given that this is one of the very few major league moves made this offseason for Arizona, it’s more likely than not that we could see Sewald back in the closer role.
With the Diamondbacks aiming for a postseason berth after two consecutive disappointing seasons, maybe Arizona is aiming to bring back some of the magic that got them to the World Series.
But is it in the form of a reliever on the decline who is entering his age-36 season? It’s unlikely.
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Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer
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