Evaluating All 6 D-backs Closer Options After Paul Sewald Demotion

Who might provide the best odds for Arizona in the ninth inning going forward?

Jul 20, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandyn Garcia (55) throws in the ninth inning against the Athletics at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Arizona Diamondbacks are moving off their established closer.

Right-hander Paul Sewald, after blowing his third save of the year and second in three attempts, has been demoted into a lower-leverage role, for the time being. That leaves Arizona's ninth inning job unspoken for.

Manager Torey Lovullo did note that, for now, the D-backs would likely go based on matchups. But a closer-by-committee tends to be more successful when there is one or two primary closers.

Arizona currently carries eight relievers. They've all had some level of success this year and have overperformed as a group.

With the exceptions of Sewald and of right-hander Gerardo Carrillo — who is a rookie, and currently the long man of the bullpen — let's take a look at the potential closer committee members:

LHP Brandyn Garcia (2.17 ERA)

Jul 8, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Brandyn Garcia (55) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: High

26-year-old left-hander Brandyn Garcia has an elite 2.17 ERA and peripherals in the upper 1.00s. His sinker sits in the high-90s, his sweeper is a brutal offering and his cutter is a dangerous hybrid of the two.

Garcia has been excellent all season since appearing to have corralled his previous issue with walks. The headliner of the Josh Naylor trade with Seattle has a K/9 of 10.61 and a BB/9 of 1.93, with two saves in two chances this year.

The problem is, he's Arizona's only left-hander, so limiting him to save situations would be unwise. But he's one of the strongest options available, without a doubt.

RHP Juan Morillo (2.68 ERA)

Jul 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Juan Morillo against the Athletics at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: Medium-high

Similarly to Garcia, when Juan Morillo has his command dialed in, he's nearly unhittable. His four-seam fastball can climb above 100, and he's got a devastating changeup and slider to finish off hitters.

Morillo has 52 strikeouts in 43.2 innings, but has been ever-so-slightly more volatile than some of the other options. He has one save this season, which came in the 10th inning on the road against the Orioles.

RHP Kevin Ginkel (3.18 ERA)

Jul 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel (37) throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: Medium

Kevin Ginkel has been getting it done in high leverage for a long time in Arizona. He's never been exceptionally successful as a pure closer, but does have 16 career saves.

Ginkel is a bit volatile in terms of results; he hasn't quite been the lock-down setup man he once was. But he has pitched much closer to his former elite form in 2026. His velocity is back up in the 96 MPH range on his fastball, and his hard-breaking slider continues to be a plus offering.

RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (2.57 ERA)

Jul 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jonathan Loáisiga (43) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: Medium

Jonathan Loaisiga has been an excellent minor league signing by Mike Hazen and the Diamondbacks. A former high-leverage Yankees reliever, Loaisiga's primary question has always been health. So far this year, he's been healthy and quite effective.

He throws in the upper 90s and has a sharp changeup that can get swing-and-miss even in the heart of the zone. He's not striking out many batters, but also isn't giving up hard contact, free passes or homers.

With that said, Loaisiga has been more effective in low-leverage than high-leverage situations this year. Opponents have a 1.008 OPS against him in high leverage but a .459 in low leverage. His career situational splits are not as extreme, but with a similar trend despite his nine career saves.

RHP Taylor Clarke (2.23 ERA)

Jul 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Taylor Clarke celebrates against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: Medium-high

Taylor Clarke has been another extremely effective arm for the D-backs, adopting a more contact-focused approach over racking up strikeouts. His stuff plays well, with a mid-90s fastball, a tough changeup, a hard cutter and a slider.

Clarke has been more effective in high leverage than medium or low. He's walking batters (1.68 BB/9) and giving up homers (0.74 HR/9) at minuscule rates. There is one red flag, however, and that's an expected ERA of 4.06.

He doesn't miss bats enough to avoid the threat of BABIP regression. His .201 BABIP against is not sustainable, especially in must-have ninth-inning situations.

RHP Ryan Thompson (4.38 ERA)

Jul 26, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryan Thompson (81) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence level: Low

Ryan Thompson has gotten some massive outs for the Diamondbacks in his Arizona tenure. He's been one of Torey Lovullo's most trustworthy arms since 2023, and for good reason. But that version of Thompson has not been present lately.

Thompson has given up 12 runs (10 earned) in 10 innings this month. He was blown up for three runs and four runs apiece in two of his past three outings. Truth is, Thompson doesn't exactly have closer stuff to begin with, so anything less than pinpoint command is already playing a dangerous game in the ninth inning. He's prone to poor batted ball luck even when pitching well.

Thompson's sinker velocity, which was never blazing, is down to around 89 MPH, and he seems to be struggling with wide misses on both that pitch and his deceptive slider. The Diamondbacks should stay away from Thompson in most save situations.