The Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen is distressing at this point in the season. Despite having some new additions this season, the bullpen’s performance has been erratic, inconsistent, and unreliable. Changes need to happen sooner rather than later.
Multiple Meltdowns
The Diamondbacks bullpen has struggled to hold leads, often blowing games late or allowing rallies, and has eight blown saves. Two significant wasted chances for wins came against the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Frustration at Wrigley
At Wrigley Field, trailing 2-1, ace Corbin Burnes was lifted after 98 pitches. Ryne Nelson came in and did not have a good day. He was pulled after giving up five runs. Instead of one of the high-leverage arms—Shelby Miller, for example—Bryce Jarvis was called upon. Jarvis got out of the inning only after a few big hits (the runs were charged to Nelson). By then, the Diamondbacks trailed 7-1.
Then the Diamondbacks put up a momentous comeback, scoring 10 runs in the top of the eighth to take an 11-7 lead. Jarvis came out to pitch the eighth but struggled and gave up three runs. Joe Mantiply was called upon but did not do well either. He gave up six straight hits, including the go-ahead home run. The Diamondbacks ultimately went down 11-13.
Chase Field Meltdown
After the Dodgers roughed up Eduardo Rodriguez to take an 8-3 lead through three innings. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tying grand slam. Ketel Marte and Randal Grichuk hit solo home runs in the eighth for an 11-8 lead. However, the Diamondbacks bullpen endured a meltdown at Chase Field in the top of the ninth. Consecutive run-scoring doubles against Kevin Ginkel, and suddenly the game was tied at 11. Ryan Thompson replaced Ginkel to face Shohei Ohtani, who hit a home run to put the Dodgers up 14-11, and their bullpen closed the Diamondbacks out in the bottom of the ninth.
Others Have Struggled
Others have struggled to find their form. The usually reliable Mantiply has had a challenging season. He has given up 20 hits, three home runs, and 13 runs in only 7.1 innings. He was optioned to Triple-A only to be called back this past Saturday, but was hit hard again.
Kevin Ginkel returned from the IL but has had trouble with his command. On top of that, his velocity is down significantly. He has given up eight runs in 4.2 innings.
Ryan Thompson had only allowed three home runs in 91 innings pitched dating back to August 2023. This year, he has already allowed three in 15.2 innings and has lost his ground ball accuracy.
No Back-End Help
After blowing 27 save chances in 2024 and missing the playoffs by one game, the team wanted a few back-end, seasoned, high-leverage arms. They chose not to bring Paul Sewald back and take their chances on finding a proven veteran. However, attempts to sign or trade for a big-name, proven arm fell through.
Disturbing Trend
Everyone knows a team’s bullpen will blow leads and save opportunities. However, the Diamondbacks bullpen “trend” has been disturbing for the past few weeks. The fans must wonder if it will change for the better any time soon. From April 19 to May 8, the bullpen has pitched to a 4.69 ERA. They are at the bottom in ERA, and home runs are also allowed.
Injuries Happen
Injuries happen. The Diamondbacks have been dealing with those as well. Martinez and Puk began the season as co-closers. It worked the first three weeks of the season. The two combined for six saves and five holds. Neither had blown a lead. However, Puk is on the 60-day injured list with a flexor tendon strain. He’s not eligible to return before June 18. Martinez experienced a “dead arm” and has been placed on the 15-day IL.
Mike Hazen Tenure
This has become a familiar scene for this organization since Mike Hazen became the General Manager in 2017. The team continually has one of the most worrisome bullpens of any team in MLB. They have shuffled pitchers up and down to the minors. They have had up to six different closers to start a new season. Many have been released, sent to the minors, or not offered extensions.
Working on Deepening
The team is working on deepening and improving the bullpen. They signed another under-the-radar arm, Kendall Graveman. He has been on the IL since the season began, but will be ready to pitch this week. However, the question is whether he can be effective after missing the 2024 season. Drey Jameson made an impressive return to MLB action on April 20. He earned an extra-inning save in his first game in almost two years. Unfortunately, he began to struggle and is now back in Triple-A to work on his control and get his arm back into baseball shape. He could join the club sooner rather than later to provide some needed relief to the bullpen.
Simply Put
The Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen is distressing. Simply put, they have failed to develop enough pitching in their system for a top-notch bullpen. They must continue looking at trades until they develop internal talent for a stronger, more reliable bullpen. Furthermore, they must quickly fix their current (recurring) bullpen crisis to stay in the playoff race.
Still Time
The good news is that there is still time to recover and have a strong bullpen to close out the season. This team was projected to be a strong wild-card contender at the beginning of the season. Some even predicted they could secure the top wild-card spot. With both the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, among others, in the mix, the bullpen must be fixed immediately. Furthermore, if a top-notch reliever suddenly becomes available, the front office might have to trade a top-10 prospect to secure the deal to keep this team from fading.
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