The Arizona Diamondbacks have designated former closer Paul Sewald for assignment, a move manager Torey Lovullo described as "agonizing" and "brutal" given Sewald's significant contributions to the team during their playoff push.
"He’s meant so much to this organization," Lovullo said Monday. "He’s closed our 24 games, he solidified things for our ’23 run, he had a number of saves in ’24 before he got banged up."
Sewald, 36, had served as the team's closer in the week leading up to the All-Star Game. However, a recent slump in performance prompted the team's decision. Through June 18, Sewald posted a 3.18 ERA with 18 saves and only one blown save. In the 11 games that followed, his ERA ballooned to 11.57, and he blew two of his eight save opportunities.
His struggles continued after losing his closer role. On July 28, he allowed a three-run lead to evaporate in the ninth inning against the Pirates, and on August 1, he gave up five runs without recording an out in his first appearance after being demoted. His final outing for the Diamondbacks came on August 5, in a 10-4 victory over the Rockies.
Lovullo explained that Sewald had fallen down the team's depth chart, with other relievers like Brandyn Garcia, Jonathan Loaisiga, Kevin Ginkle, and Juan Morillo surpassing him. The manager indicated that the team's need for longer relief outings, a role Sewald was not best suited for, led them to add veteran Zack Littell to fill that gap.
"I just feel like, the role he was in, we needed a little bit more length and that’s where Zack (Littell) comes in…", Lovullo stated.
Despite his recent performance, Sewald's track record could lead him to another team, though his current ERA of 6.23 makes him more of a speculative acquisition than a reliable option for a contender's bullpen bridge.
Sewald's career included a notable turnaround after a challenging start with the Mets. He went on to record 107 saves across stints with the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Guardians, and Tigers.