Yankees Should Take Chance on Recently DFA'd Closer

The New York Yankees didn't add any arms at the deadline, but they can still make a move with a former closer.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone could use another arm in the bullpen for the stretch run. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's still hard to figure out why the New York Yankees didn't add a single reliever at the trade deadline. Statistically, their 3.13 bullpen ERA is second in all of baseball, but once you get past David Bednar, Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, and Fernando Cruz — when his splitter is working — there isn't much the Yankees are working with. Tim Hill is nowhere near where he was in 2024 or even last year, and Ryan Yarbrough is more of a DFA candidate these days.

An intriguing candidate that could be available, though, is Paul Sewald. The Arizona Diamondbacks just designated for assignment their closer on Monday, who once carried them to a World Series run. While that 6.23 ERA in 39 innings is ugly, the 36-year-old righty has some things going on under the hood that could signal he isn't totally done.

A 15.7% barrel rate and 42.6% hard-hit rate are bad, but Sewald still has a .228 expected batting average. Hitters aren't making much contact against him. It's just that when they are, they are knocking him all around the park.

Former Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald should be on the New York Yankees' radar to help bolster the bullpen. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Similarities to Brent Headrick

Where Sewald shines is his ability to still generate a ton of swing-and-miss. Sewald has a 27% strikeout rate and a 5.5% walk rate. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is about where Headrick is as well. Headrick has a 29.3-7.9 K-BB. It's just that one gives up homers, and the other doesn't — an important distinction here.

The issue with Sewald is that he's a two-pitch pitcher. He has a cutter that he has used all of five times this season, so it's hard to say that if he uses it more, it will equal more success.


One thing an acquiring team could do with Sewald is have him flip his sweeper and fastball usage. Sewald uses the fastball 58.6% of the time and his sweeper 40.6%. Hitters are hitting .190 with a .448 slugging off the sweeper, whereas they're hitting .256 with a .589 slugging off the fastball.

New York Yankees reliever pitcher Brent Headrick (47) has become a viable weapon in the latter innings this season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Sewald, teams are all looking at the same thing here, so as he's moving down the waiver wire, there's a good chance somebody else will pounce on him. The best chance the Yankees have is hoping that teams keep balking until he falls to them on waivers. It doesn't seem likely that it would get to the point. Every team is examining those strikeouts and probably thinking they can fix him.

Sewald could be a good add if the Yankees can somehow settle the issues he is having. It could be a matter of usage rates, or even his release point.

Still, it would have been nice if Brian Cashman did his work at the deadline, or even last winter. Now he'll have to bank on reclamation projects falling to him on waivers.

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