The Diamondbacks made it official Monday: Paul Sewald is designated for assignment, ending his second stint in Arizona on a sour note. It's the kind of move that doesn't shock anyone who's watched his last two months, but it's still a gut punch for a guy who helped carry this franchise to the World Series.
Sewald signed back with Arizona this spring on a one-year deal to patch a bullpen that was short-handed while other arms recovered from elbow surgery. For a while, it looked like the right call. Through June 19 he had 18 saves and a 3.18 ERA, good enough that he was tied for sixth in MLB in saves and on pace to be Arizona's first 20-save closer since Brad Boxberger back in 2018.
Then it fell apart. Dating back to late June, Sewald got rocked for 7 home runs and 17 earned runs over just 10.2 innings, ballooning his ERA from that tidy 3.18 all the way up to 6.23. A blown save in Pittsburgh on July 28 and another rough outing against Cleveland on August 1 sealed it — he hadn't recorded a save since July 24 and had stopped getting the ball in save situations entirely.
Arizona has already pivoted to a closer-by-committee approach, leaning on Brandyn Garcia and Kevin Ginkel to soak up the high-leverage innings Sewald used to own. The club also reportedly agreed to terms with reliever Zack Littell over the weekend, giving them a fresh arm to plug into the roster spot Sewald's DFA opens up.
There's real history here that makes the split sting. Sewald was a midseason trade addition back in 2023 and became a key piece of Arizona's improbable run to its first World Series since 2001. Coming back on a one-year deal this offseason was supposed to be a feel-good reunion, not a mid-August teardown.
For now, Sewald has 7 days to be traded, claimed off waivers, or outrighted to the minors, and it's fair to wonder if a contender in need of bullpen depth takes a flier on the name value alone. But for Arizona, the message is clear — the ninth inning is up for grabs, and it's not his anymore.