Diamondbacks have more options to handle closer-by-committee than in the recent past

The Arizona Diamondbacks are shifting their plans for the ninth inning, moving off Paul Sewald as the named closer for the time being while leaning into a matchups-based approach.

We have seen this before.

The Diamondbacks did not enter the 2023 season with a set closer until they traded for Sewald at the deadline. The club removed Sewald from that position at the end of July 2024 and went matchups-based then. Injuries forced them to use 17 different pitchers to close games last year.

The lack of stability in the ninth inning is evidenced by this stat: Sewald has 24 saves before August, the most in a season by a Diamondback since Brad Boxberger’s 32 in 2018.

Having a set closer is helpful to establish roles and build out a game from the ninth inning backward, like manager Torey Lovullo likes to do. At the same time, this year’s bullpen has better depth and firepower than units they have tried to mix-and-match with in the past. In 2023, the D-backs tried a ninth-inning rotation of Scott McGough, Miguel Castro and Andrew Chafin before trading for Sewald, for example.

There will be challenges.

This bullpen has been taxed lately and faces the risk of innings getting pretty high. Bullpens are also volatile by nature. But this bullpen has been a strength all season, and it provides enough different looks to give Lovullo the right buttons in a typically tricky closer-by-committee setup.

Who will close games for the Diamondbacks?

Brandyn Garcia received the first look on Wednesday, as he faced a left-handed leaning lineup in Pittsburgh. He had no problem earning the save and has been dominant in leverage situations all season as a rookie. In “high leverage,” the biggest swings of win expectancy, opponents are batting .179 against him.

Garcia also owns the best strikeout rate and ground ball rate on the team.

He is the only lefty in the bullpen, however, so while there will be matchups favorable to him, there will be situations when he will be needed earlier.

Kevin Ginkel has been pretty comparable against lefties and righties, as he is having a bounce-back season. Ginkel owns a 3.18 ERA this year, but he has only allowed multiple earned runs three times in 48 appearances.

The veteran also has the next-most career saves in the bullpen after Sewald with 16.

Juan Morillo has the overpowering stuff, the platoon splits and the overall numbers to be a popular candidate. The second-year big leaguer has improved across the board from last season, honing in his fireball and his secondary arsenal to strike out more hitters and walk fewer. His ground ball rate, strikeout rate and average exit velocity are all in the 90th percentile or higher of Major League Baseball. Righties have hit .206 against him, but lefties are only batting .174.

There is Jonathan Loaisiga, who is a trusted veteran with a 2.57 ERA this season. He hit a recent snag with three runs allowed in his last two appearances, but he had not allowed a run in 15 straight games before that.

Unlike Ginkel and Morillo, Loaisiga has been more platoon-specific, as righties have been hopeless (.149), while lefties have given him trouble (.312). That is consistent with his previous track record, but there will be matchups against right-handed-heavy lineups that favor him.

Taylor Clarke has been more of a Swiss-army knife for the Diamondbacks, delivering more than three outs when needed. Righties have been awful against Clarke (.164), but he has handled lefties as well (.219). He owns the lowest walk rate in the bullpen, and although he does not strike many batters out, the contact is consistently weak.

Those are the five biggest names to keep in mind in the interim.

The bullpen is rounded out by Sewald, Ryan Thompson and Gerardo Carrillo.

Thompson has just been struggling recently even though he’s had a mostly good season. His ERA was 2.78 before his last three games, in which he has given up eight runs. Still, he has only allowed runs in 10 of 44 games and multiple runs five times. Like Loaisiga, he is splits-specific, and the D-backs could use him getting turned back around to attack righties.

Carrillo is just getting his feet wet with three major league appearances. His two shutout frames in extra innings on Tuesday helped the D-backs win a dramatic game in Pittsburgh.

Finally, there is the Justin Martinez piece of this whole thing.

The fire-throwing reliever who underwent Tommy John surgery last summer is facing live hitters as he gets closer to returning. Will he be the closer right away? That’s hard to say, but the Diamondbacks are hopeful he will get back and become an option for them, as well.

The trade deadline is on Monday, giving the D-backs another outlet.

Sewald has meant a lot to the Diamondbacks both in the closer role and as a teammate, and he will get lower-leverage opportunities to try to figure out some of his issues that have led to home runs lately.

There will be blown saves without Sewald, assuredly, but the move shows urgency and a trust in the other options to push the Diamondbacks past the finish line of meaningful games.

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