The Arizona Diamondbacks are bringing back a familiar face, agreeing to a one-year deal with right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the club designated right-hander Gus Varland for assignment. With Clarke’s addition, the D-backs’ roster now sits right at the 40-player limit.
For Clarke, this marks a homecoming of sorts. Originally drafted by Arizona in the third round back in 2015 out of the College of Charleston, the 32-year-old returns to the organization where he made his big-league debut in 2019. He spent three seasons with the D-backs from 2019 to 2021, appearing in 78 games (20 starts) and posting a 9-8 record with a 4.99 ERA.
But Clarke’s game has evolved since then-and his 2025 season with the Royals showed just how far he’s come. In 51 appearances last year, Clarke was quietly one of the more effective bullpen arms in the league.
He finished with a 3.25 ERA over 55.1 innings, allowing just 20 earned runs while holding opposing hitters to a .194 average. His 0.85 WHIP was a career-best, and he walked just nine batters all season while striking out 44.
That kind of command is rare-he was one of only two pitchers in all of Major League Baseball last year to log 50 or more appearances while issuing fewer than 10 walks (the other being Tyler Rogers).
Clarke’s 2025 campaign wasn’t just efficient-it was consistent. He recorded scoreless outings in 40 of his 51 appearances, another career high. And while he didn’t pitch in the majors in 2024, he’s been a durable presence in recent years, tallying 50+ appearances in both 2023 and 2025, and 40 or more in four of the last five seasons dating back to 2021.
All told, Clarke brings a veteran presence and a track record of reliability to the D-backs’ bullpen. Over six big league seasons with Arizona and Kansas City, he’s pitched in 234 games (22 starts), compiling a 16-16 record with eight saves and a 4.73 ERA across 334.2 innings. His career WHIP sits at 1.31, with 304 strikeouts against 106 walks.
For a Diamondbacks team looking to solidify its bullpen depth heading into 2026, Clarke’s return could be a savvy move. He’s not flashy, but he’s efficient, experienced, and knows how to keep hitters off balance. And for a team that knows him well, that familiarity might just be the edge they’re looking for.