Diamondbacks Reunite with Reliever to Bolster Bullpen

The Diamondbacks reunite with their former third-rounder.

Feb 19, 2025; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Taylor Clarke (45) poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks have made an addition to their bullpen. On Thursday, the D-backs signed veteran right-hand reliever Taylor Clarke to a one-year contract.

In a corresponding move, right-hander Gus Varland was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Varland never made an MLB appearance for Arizona.

Clarke, 32, is a veteran of six major league seasons and a former member of the D-backs from 2019-2021. He spent the last three seasons in Kansas City, and will now return to the organization that drafted him.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Sign Taylor Clarke

Aug 19, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taylor Clarke (45) celebrates with catcher Bryan Holaday (28) after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Clarke's 2025 season was his best as a major-leaguer. He pitched to a 3.25 ERA and 3.97 FIP over 55.1 innings. Though his strikeout numbers took a dive (7.16 per nine innings), he also walked batters at a career-low rate, issuing just 1.46 free passes per nine.

His 4.4% walk rate was good for a 97th-percentile figure, per Statcast, and he put forward a career-high 40 scoreless outings in 51 appearances.

Clarke was initially selected in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Diamondbacks. He worked his way up the system and made his major league debut with Arizona in the 2019 season, throwing to a 5.31 ERA in a combination of starts and relief appearances.

He transitioned to the bullpen full-time in 2021. For his three-year tenure with the D-backs from 2019-2021, he posted a 4.99 ERA and 5.38 FIP over the course of 171.1 innings. He made 20 starts and 58 relief appearances in that span.

He became a free agent following the 2021 season and signed with the Royals. He saw some improvement in the 2022 season, posting a 4.04 ERA and 3.30 FIP in 49 frames, but struggled again in 2023.

The Royals then traded him to Milwaukee, although the right-hander never saw MLB action with the Brewers. He returned to the Royals ahead of 2024 on a minor league contract before posting his career season.

Clarke relies primarily on a hard slider, but also has a four-seam and sinker combo that ticks up around 95 MPH. He also throws a changeup that is nearly 90 MPH with heavy arm-side movement.

He's not exactly a high-leverage weapon, but he does have eight career saves. There is some upside here, but the D-backs will have to hope he falls more toward his 2025 numbers than his career averages. His career ERA is 4.73.