Diamondbacks 2023 Player Reviews: Cole Sulser

The right-hander's time with Arizona was short and ineffective

This is article is part of a series reviewing every player that pitched at least one inning or had at least one plate appearance for the Diamondbacks in their magical run to the  2023 World Series.  They are being presented in reverse order of their aWAR, which is the average of Baseball Reference and Fangraphs WAR

Cole Sulser -0.13 aWAR

Cole Sulser 2023 and Career stats / Jack Sommers

Cole Sulser was drafted by the Guardians out of Dartmouth College  back in 2013.  He spent five seasons with Cleveland,  was traded to Tampa, and later was picked up off waivers by the Orioles.  Sulser's best season came in 2021 when he posted 2.70 ERA in 60 games, 63 innings for Baltimore. That was backed up by a 2.98 FIP and a 10.4 K/9 ratio. Traded to the Marlins following the season, his velocity dropped in 2022 and his ERA rose to 5.29, causing the Marlins to release him. That gave the D-backs a chance to take a flier on him as they picked him up on November 8th, 2022.

That flier resulted in a good spring training, with Sulser surprisingly making the opening day roster.  Torey Lovullo turned to him in the very first game of the year, having him relieve Zac Gallen in the 5th inning with the D-backs trailing 3-2.  There were two outs, runners on first and second, and two runs already scored that inning. Sulser's first pitch as a Diamondback was lined into left center by former Diamondback David Peralta, scoring one of Gallen's inherited runners. 

The next inning Sulser gave up a solo homer to James Outman, and was out of the game shortly after that. Two days later Sulser was brought into a game that was already a blowout, and gave up one run on a solo homer in two innings of work.  Two days after that in San Diego he threw 1.1 scoreless innings, walking two batters after getting one out in his second inning. Miguel Castro relieved him with two on and two out and got the final two outs, preserving a 3-3 tie in a game the D-backs would later go on to lose. 

Sulser did not pitch in the majors again for almost four months. Placed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury on April 7th, he started pitching in rehab games in the complex league on July 4th.  After a couple of games for Reno in late July he was promoted back to the major league roster to make his final appearance for the D-backs. Coming into a game against the Mariners trailing 3-0, he gave up a run on two hits in a 4-0 loss.

Sulser was DFA'd on August 1st to clear room on the 40-man roster as the D-backs brought in several players at the deadline.  Claimed by the Rays on August 5th, he pitched in 12 games for that organization's Durham Triple-A affiliate, and was granted free agency on November 6th.

Sulser will be 34 next year and the best he can hope for is a minor league contract and an opportunity to pitch his way back to the majors. His velocity actually was back up a tick before getting injured, and he did not pitch badly in Durham, so there's always a chance.

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