Paul Sewald Returns to Arizona Looking for Redemption-and Opportunity
Paul Sewald is headed back to the desert. The veteran right-hander has signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, pending a physical. It’s a low-risk move for a bullpen that’s already dealing with significant injury setbacks-and one that could offer Sewald a shot at redemption after a rocky 2025.
This marks Sewald’s second stint with the D-backs, a team that saw him shine during their 2023 postseason run. After being acquired midseason from the Mariners, Sewald posted a 3.57 ERA in the regular season and notched six saves during Arizona’s surge to the World Series. At the time, he looked like the team’s closer of the future-steady, experienced, and unshaken by the moment.
But the promise of 2023 gave way to the reality of 2024. Oblique and neck injuries limited his effectiveness, and his ERA ballooned to 4.31. That downturn set the tone for a difficult 2025 season, which began with hope in Cleveland but quickly unraveled.
Signed by the Guardians last offseason for $7 million, Sewald was expected to be a key setup man behind All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase. But things didn’t go according to plan.
Clase found himself sidelined indefinitely due to his involvement in a pitch-rigging scandal, and Sewald’s own campaign was derailed by a shoulder injury. He did record a save on Opening Day against the Royals, but that would be the high point of his brief tenure in Cleveland.
By midseason, the Guardians had seen enough. Sewald was dealt to the Tigers at the trade deadline, but he managed just 4 1/3 innings in Detroit before being outrighted off the roster at season’s end. In total, he pitched only 59 1/3 innings over the last two seasons, with a 4.40 ERA and diminished velocity-his fastball averaged just 90.4 mph last year, nearly two ticks down from his peak.
It’s a far cry from the version of Sewald that emerged in Seattle. After an unremarkable start to his career with the Mets, Sewald reinvented himself with the Mariners, posting a 2.88 ERA and racking up 52 saves over 171 2/3 innings.
That stretch turned heads across the league and earned him a spot in Arizona’s bullpen in 2023. But injuries and inconsistency have defined his recent seasons.
Still, the Diamondbacks’ current bullpen situation could give Sewald a chance to reestablish himself. Arizona is dealing with a rash of injuries to key relievers.
A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, both of whom saw high-leverage opportunities last year, are recovering from Tommy John surgery and will begin the season on the injured list.
Andrew Saalfrank, another promising arm, is out for the entire 2026 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
That opens the door for Sewald to step into a meaningful role-potentially even as the closer, at least early in the season. While he might not be the go-to ninth-inning option on most teams at this point in his career, Arizona’s need for experience and stability in the bullpen could give him a real shot.
Whether he can seize that opportunity is another story. Sewald’s recent track record suggests the margin for error is slim. But for a pitcher who’s bounced back before, this return to Arizona could be the right place at the right time.