Diamondbacks Pitcher Elects Free Agency

One of the unsung heroes of the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2025 season has decided to test out his market.

According to his transaction log page, right-handed pitcher Nabil Crismatt has officially elected free agency after spending a brief (but productive) stint with the D-backs in the latter end of the 2025 season.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Nabil Crismatt Elects Free Agency

Crismatt's short-lived tenure was his second with the D-backs' organization. He made one relief appearance for Arizona in the 2023 season before bouncing around between the Dodgers, Padres, Rangers and Phillies organizations.

He joined the D-backs on August 9, following yet another injury to Arizona's starting rotation. The D-backs had traded Merrill Kelly and lost interim starter Anthony DeSclafani to a thumb injury.

Crismatt joined the rotation having never served as a major league starting pitcher. He had one career start in MLB prior — back in the 2022 season. He'd been primarily a starter in the minor leagues in recent seasons.

Crismatt himself noted he enjoyed the opportunity to start — feeling as if his unconventional method of pitching (utilizing a slow changeup primarily) was better suited to the preparation and process that went into pitching out of the rotation.

"I feel more like who I am as a starter," said the righty in an interview with Diamondbacks On SI.

"To be honest, I've been loving it. Being a starter, that's what I feel more comfortable with."

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He was quite proficient in his five starts for Arizona and made two successful relief appearances, sporting a 2.61 ERA through his first 31 innings.

A five-run blowup against the Dodgers in his final bulk relief outing of the season ballooned his ERA to 3.71, but Crismatt's efforts were quite the positive boost to a needy D-backs' pitching staff.

Following that blowup, Crismatt was designated for assignment. It was not a move born out of dissatisfaction, but rather a roster crunch. With just three games remaining, Arizona needed to bring up a fresh arm, while Crismatt's bulk workload would have made him unavailable for multiple days.

The veteran righty did clear waivers, and was later outrighted to Triple-A Reno on September 28, but the minor league season had long concluded.

Arizona faces rotation questions ahead of 2026. While Crismatt might not have been a long-term solution, perhaps a reunion deal to bring him back — either in long relief or as a spot-starter — could be beneficial to a team that may be down its top two rotation arms heading into next season.

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