Former Dodgers World Series-Winning Reliever Signs With NL West Rival

On March 31, 2024, the Dodgers were trailing the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 when the eighth inning began. The Sunday night home game took a turn for the dramatic when Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy hit home runs in the bottom of the eighth, sandwiched around a Chris Taylor walk, to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. Daniel Hudson relieved Nabil Crismatt and pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record the save.

The Dodgers' fourth win of the season was only one of 98 en route to a championship. But it was enough to earn Crismatt — the winning pitcher in his Dodgers debut — the decision as the winning pitcher. After the season ended, that game became his best claim to a World Series ring after his brief time in Los Angeles.

Crismatt did not win another game in 2024; he did not even finish the year in the Dodgers' organization. After being designated for assignment on May 15, he elected free agency two days later. Crismatt bounced from the Texas Rangers to the San Diego Padres, before landing a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies for 2025.

Now he's headed back to the National League West.

Crismatt signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday and was assigned to Triple-A Reno. This will mark his second stint with the D-Backs organization. Crismatt signed a minor league contract with Arizona in June 2023 and had his contract selected in August of that year.

Crismatt's next appearance in the big leagues will be his first since his final game with the Dodgers in 2024. In that outing, Crismatt mopped up the final inning of a 10-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on May 14. He finished the game — and, by extension, his season — with a 2.57 ERA in five games.

That might have been enough on the surface to earn Crismatt a longer look with the Dodgers. But the 30-year-old does not possess the overpowering, swing-and-miss stuff that teams like the Dodgers covet for their bullpens.

Last season his fastball averaged 90.7 mph. He relied far more on his changeup (70 percent of all pitches), which effectively turned him into a reverse-splits righty. Left-handed batters collected one hit in 11 plate appearances against him, striking out three times.

So it was for Crismatt this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the Phillies' top farm team. Left-handers had a .261 OBP against him this season, compared to .329 for righties.

The Phillies released Crismatt from his minor league contract for the second time in a month on Aug. 3.

Now he'll head to Arizona, whose three left-handed relievers (Andrew Saalfrank, Jalen Beeks, Kyle Backhus) have had varying degrees of success.

Saalfrank has come back from a gambling suspension to post a 0.73 ERA in 11 outings this season. Beeks (4.09 ERA) and Backhus (4.41 ERA) have faltered often enough, Crismatt could prove to be a better option against left-handed hitters before the Diamondbacks' season is over.

If he is promoted, Crismatt will have extended his career to six MLB seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, D-Backs and Dodgers. He's 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA in 114 career appearances.

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