Another Closer Option for the D-backs Goes Off the Board

The options for Arizona to add to the back end of the bullpen are getting scarce

Assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye, general manager Mike Hazen, and manager Torey Lovullo during batting practice at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 8, 2023. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been searching for a back end arm to help solidify the bullpen all offseason. General Manager Mike Hazen has spoken about adding to the bullpen since the very beginning.

Pitchers and catchers report less than 24 hours from this writing and it still hasn't happened. One more option has just disappeared off the board. Kenley Jansen has signed a one year, $10 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Angels, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Just last week Aaron Hughes reviewed the pros and cons of a Jansen signing for the Diamondbacks. He certainly would have been able to fit the role the team seeks. But now the options are truly getting thinner for Arizona.

Early in the offseason they made overtures to the Brewers for Devin Williams, but could not match the Yankees' package for the elite closer. They were rumored to have had interest in Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals, but there was no match to be had there either.

They were linked to several other relievers in the rumor mill such as Kirby Yates, who ended up signing with the Dodgers. The list goes on.

At this point the two best options for a high-leverage, late-inning reliever with closing experience are free agent David Robertston and Tampa Bay Rays trade target Pete Fairbanks. Free agents Kyle Finnegan and Craig Kimbrel are less desirable options.

Should the Diamondbacks come up short in their goal of adding a high-leverage reliever to the pen, they'll be forced to turn to one of Justin Martinez or A.J. Puk for the closer's role, or worse, go to a closer by committee system.

They have gone down that road before, and it has not worked out for the team.

Both Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo have oft stated that the best version of their bullpen has a defined closer at the back end, with everyone else slotting into their specific roles.

That was the case for Arizona when Paul Sewald arrived in August of 2023, right up until the World Series. And it was true for about six weeks in 2024 before Sewald's infamous collapse in July last year.

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