The Arizona Diamondbacks have finally made a move with the trade deadline tomorrow, as they are reportedly finalizing a deal to acquire closer Paul Sewald from the Mariners.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!BREAKING: The Arizona Diamondbacks are finalizing a trade to acquire closer Paul Sewald from the Seattle Mariners, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2023
In return, the D-backs are trading INF Josh Rojas, OF Dominic Canzone, who had been playing really well lately, as well as minor league middle infielder Ryan Bliss (their No. 29 prospect).
The full deal, as @Ken_Rosenthal said, is Paul Sewald to the Diamondbacks, with big leaguers Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone as well as minor league middle infielder Ryan Bliss heading back to the Mariners.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2023
The deal comes just a day after the Mariners shutout the D-backs 4-0 to win the three-game weekend series between the teams.
Sewald recorded a save in Friday’s game in Seattle’s 5-2 victory over Arizona.
The 33-year-old Sewald is in his sixth year in the MLB. This season, he has converted 21 of 24 save opportunities and has a 2.93 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. After a below-average start in the majors for the Mets from 2017-2020, Sewald had been the Mariners closer since 2021.
The D-backs have now found their true closer, but the trade may be a little questionable to give up youth for him.
The Diamondbacks got their closer.
Paul Sewald is under control through end of 2024 and has been a very good backend reliever for three seasons in Seattle.
His 2023 numbers: 2.93 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 21-for-24 SV, 12.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9. https://t.co/z1HokjnTII
— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) July 31, 2023
Is the move worth it for the D-backs, who are struggling and now 56-50? They are, however, only one game back from the top NL Wildcard spot. We will see as the season pans out, but it is tough to give up the hometown kid in Rojas, as well as Canzone, who had really started to find his groove in the majors.
The MLB trade deadline is tomorrow at 3 p.m. MST, so stay tuned if the D-backs make anymore moves.
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Brendan Mau is a college sports insider and general assignment reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on Twitter via @Brendan_Mau
