Paul

Sewald

Lovullo noted Kevin Ginkel, Paul Sewald and Ryan Thompson as potential options that want the ball in the ninth inning. Then at some point during the season the Diamondbacks will get Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk back, which will cause further chaos at the back end of their bullpen. Fantasy managers who are trying to speculate for saves here may be better served looking elsewhere.

The deal is now official. Sewald, who spent time with Arizona from 2023-2024, fortifies Arizona’s bullpen depth after being limited to just 22 relief appearances between the Guardians and Tigers last year. The 35-year-old former closer could potentially factor into the Diamondbacks’ ninth-inning mix with a strong spring, but it’s a murky situation that fantasy managers should avoid outside of NL-only formats.

The 35-year-old hurler previously pitched for the Diamondbacks in 2023 and 2024. He split his 2025 campaign between the Guardians and the Tigers where he registered a 4.58 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 20/6 K/BB ratio over 19 2/3 innings in his 22 appearances. He’ll give the Diamondbacks another capable high-leverage arm to work at the back end of their bullpen.

Sewald will get a $1 million buyout of the $10 million option. Sewald made $6 million last season after signing on with the Guardians, who traded him to the Tigers at the deadline. He missed much of the year with shoulder issues and wound up with a 4.58 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.

Keith has been added to Detroit’s roster after missing the club’s Wild Card Series against Cleveland with right rib cage inflammation. The 24-year-old figures to get plenty of opportunities to face Seattle’s righty-heavy rotation. Reliever Brenan Hanifee is the only other new addition with Justyn-Henry Malloy and Paul Sewald being excluded.

Paddack was one of the Tigers’ lone trade deadline acquisitions, but he has a 5.35 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and a 112/37 K/BB ratio in 158 innings on the season. With this series being a best-of-three, the Tigers don’t need as many starting pitchers, so Paul Sewald will make the roster over Paddack.

Sewald, out since mid-July with a shoulder strain, will be making his Tigers debut after being acquired from the Guardians at the deadline. He allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings on a rehab assignment, and he had a 4.70 ERA in 18 appearances for Cleveland prior to the trade.

The 35-year-old right-hander has been inching his way back from a right shoulder strain that has kept him sidelined since early July. He’ll probably need several appearances in minor league games before he’s ready to join the Tigers’ bullpen. If all goes well, there’s a chance that he could be ready to be activated by next weekend.

It’s the first time that the 35-year-old hurler has thrown a bullpen since joining the Tigers. The Tigers will wait and see how he’s feeling on Sunday before deciding the next step in his recovery process. There’s still no clear timetable for when he may be able to join the Tigers’ bullpen.

Sewald was placed on the injured list retroactive to July 12, so he now won’t be eligible to pitch for Detroit until the middle of September. The 35-year-old could be a late-inning option for the Tigers once healthy enough to pitch, but there’s a reason the player to be named later in the trade with the Guardians isn’t expected to be significant.