Is Paul Sewald A Good Fit On The Diamondbacks? Fantasy Baseball Outlook

At a 57-51 record, the Arizona Diamondbacks stand just a game back of the last wild-card spot and four-and-a-half games back of the Dodgers for the NL West division lead. While the playoffs are in their reach, trades were necessary to keep this Diamondbacks team in contention.

At the 2023 deadline, they made a flurry of trades, and the biggest one was for Seattle Mariners closer Paul Sewald.

Despite his pristine reputation as a closer, Sewald may still have to contend with the relievers already present in Arizona. What will Sewald's role be? We'll dive into that and the fantasy baseball impact of this trade.

Paul Sewald's Fit With The Diamondbacks

Despite the emergence of reliever Andres Munoz, Paul Sewald still held on to his closer role in Seattle. Over the past two seasons, Sewald has racked up 41 saves in 107 innings of relief work with the Mariners.

He's been one of the best closers in baseball this season, with 2.73 SIERA, a 35.5% strikeout rate, and 21 saves in 24 opportunities.

For Arizona, the back end of the bullpen has dealt with volatility. Five different pitchers have picked up saves this season: Scott McGough with nine, Andrew Chafin with eight, Miguel Castro with seven, Kevin Ginkel with three, and Drey Jameson with one.

None of these players present any real threat to Sewald. Arizona traded Chafin at the deadline to Milwaukee. Scott McGough and Miguel Castro have struggled as closers, with neither having save percentages above 70% while sporting ERAs above 4.00.

Sewald will likely be the full-time closer for a Diamondbacks team in the thick of a heated wild-card race. His value in fantasy baseball is unchanged, but Scott McGough, Kevin Ginkel, and Miguel Castro lose significant value in saves-only leagues. 

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