Why the Diamondbacks Made This Unexpected Roster Decision

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been working on paring down their roster ahead of opening day, and two relievers have already been confirmed to have made the team: right-handers Jonathan Loaisiga and Joe Ross.

Loaisiga is of no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. The former Yankees reliever hit 99.6 MPH on his four-seam fastball, and has a track record of high-leverage success.

But Ross comes as a bit of a shock, given his 7.71 ERA in Cactus League play. There was a reason for that decision, however.

Why the Diamondbacks are keeping Joe Ross

Ross' value comes in his ability to provide significant length out of the bullpen, GM Mike Hazen told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.

"I think his ability to get out to 50-60 pitches is a big separating factor for us, especially early," Hazen told Gilbert. "So having somebody like that is of critical importance, especially early. He obviously has experience and we love the guy."

With Merrill Kelly going down on the IL to begin the regular season, the D-backs will not be able to rely on pushing righty Michael Soroka into a long relief role, yet. Soroka will take the fourth turn in the rotation, for at least the first two turns.

And among Arizona's bullpen and relief depth, there are only a handful of incumbent arms who are capable of providing more than an inning. Taylor Clarke, Andrew Hoffmann and John Curtiss — to name a few — have all done so in the past, but none have gotten to or beyond the 50-pitch mark.

Aug 17, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Joe Ross (41) throws to the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

If Arizona wanted a true long reliever, it would have had to turn to the likes of Ross or another non-roster invitee, or pick one of their Triple-A starters and convert them to a relief role.

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Considering the likelihood of one of their MLB starters being pushed into that type of job, the D-backs may have preferred to do so with a minor league signee like Ross, rather than toying around with one of their young, developing arms.

It is, admittedly, a little strange to see the team go with Ross over right-hander Bryce Jarvis, who has filled a long relief workload for the D-backs multiple times in the past.

But Ross has a bit more major league experience in eight major league seasons (and 87 career starts), and his stuff profiles slightly above Jarvis' in terms of velocity and movement. Arizona likely prefers Ross' experience and relatively consistent success (career 4.28 ERA) in this instance.