Diamondbacks take minor league deal flier on RHP Shawn Dubin

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed right-handed pitcher Shawn Dubin to a minor league contract, according to the transactions log.

The D-backs have yet to sign a major league reliever this winter, but they have taken a series of fliers on minor league deals to find pitchers with upside to compete in spring training.

Dubin, 30, pitched in 30 major league games last year for the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles. He got off to a strong start in Houston with a 1.33 ERA in 20.1 innings until he landed on the injured list with a right forearm strain.

He returned after nearly two months, gave up 13 runs in five appearances and was swiftly designated for assignment. The Orioles claimed him, and he gave them six straight scoreless appearances before a blowup outing on Sept. 12 and subsequent IL placement with right elbow discomfort. He finished the year with a 5.08 ERA, 4.95 FIP (fielding-independent pitching) and 3.74 xERA, per Statcast.

Dubin balanced six pitches last year, throwing a mid-90s mph fastball with a sweeper, curveball and change-up to mix speeds. He did not produce many strikeouts (19.3%) but kept the ball on the ground (49%) and limited his walks (7.6%).

The 6-foot righty was once considered a top-10 prospect in Houston’s farm system as recently as 2022 by MLB Pipeline. He made his MLB debut in 2023 but only pitched 45.1 MLB innings in 2024.

His pitches have better-than-average movement, as his changeup and curveball really drop while his fastball gets strong arm-side run.

Shawn Dubin gets Luis Guillorme with a heater that broke about a foot but probably felt like it was two feet to Luis… pic.twitter.com/qwCMkgX8rj

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 10, 2023

Dubin joins a group of arms of minor league arms that includes John Curtiss, Taylor Rashi, Gerardo Carrillo and Isaiah Campbell. Dubin was assigned to Triple-A Reno.

The Diamondbacks remain in the market for relief arms with a young bullpen in need of reinforcements.

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