Diamondbacks Make Inevitable Decision Regarding Closer Paul Sewald

Diamondbacks DFA Paul Sewald

The move does not come as all that much of a surprise at this point in the season. Sewald, who had signed for just $1.5 million and reclaimed the closer role at the beginning of the season, had entered a familiar rough stretch.

After Sewald made an outstanding start to his year, picking up 23 of 24 saves, his effectiveness had clearly begun to waiver. He pitched to a 6.23 ERA in the month of June and an 8.23 in July.

When he blew two out of three saves between July 21-28, the Diamondbacks did not hesitate to remove him as closer and go with a closer-by-committee approach.

But once Sewald stepped back from closing games, it was evident he was not much more effective in a lower-leverage role. He was tagged for five earned runs without recording an out against the Cleveland Guardians in his first ow-leverage assignment, turning a bowout into a relatively close game.

Though the Diamondbacks likely would have preferred to see Sewald regain his confidence and re-assert himself as a valuable leverage arm, that did not ultimately happen.

Sewald's final appearance as a Diamondback, for now, was collecting the final out of August 5's win over the San Diego Padres — not a save situation, but a ninth-inning game-ending out, at the least.

At what appears to be the end of the road, Sewald holds a 6.23 ERA.