The Cleveland Guardians announced on Wednesday that they signed free-agent right-handed reliever Paul Sewald to an undisclosed major-league contract for the 2025 season. The deal includes a mutual option for 2026. It was a rough 2024 season for Sewald in his final year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, as he missed time due to injury and also lost his job as the closer. The 34-year-old veteran finished with a 4.31 ERA (3.95 FIP) and a 1.13 WHIP with 16 saves, a 26.1% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate in 39 2/3 relief innings. He got a late start due to an oblique injury and saved 11 straight saves while being unhittable before everything fell apart. Although Sewald won't be the closer in Cleveland with Emmanuel Clase locked into that role, he did have 81 saves the last four years and should be worth a look in holds leagues as a setup man for the Guardians in 2025.UPDATE: Sewald will make $7 million, and his 2026 option will be worth $10 million.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed reliever Paul Sewald (neck) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session at Chase Field on Monday and is scheduled to throw again on either Thursday or Friday, making it unlikely that he would be activated from the injured list before the final few games or two of the regular season. "Paul's got a disk problem in his neck," manager Torey Lovullo said. "It's causing some problems with his left side, his left shoulder, so he can't go out there at full strength and compete. We made the decision, along with his input, to just step away and heal up and get strong." Sewald was put on the IL (retroactive to Sept. 12), which would mean that the first day he could be activated would be this Friday. With Sewald on the shelf, Justin Martinez has stepped into the closer's role for the Snakes. It's unclear if Sewald will be available to the team if they get into the postseason.

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Paul Sewald (neck) played catch on Friday for the first time since being placed on the 15-day IL on Sunday with neck discomfort. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo also noted that Sewald will throw off a mound in the coming days. That news is a positive update for the 34-year-old, signaling that the discomfort is subsiding. Sewald has been a solid member of the Diamondbacks' bullpen in August and September after struggling in July (10.80 ERA). Though Arizona is clinging to the final wild card spot, Sewald likely is done for the regular season and wouldn't be able to return until the postseason. Fantasy managers hoping for help in the last week of the season should set their sights elsewhere. A fine replacement would be Justin Martinez, who's posted a 1.59 ERA in his last five appearances for Arizona.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald has been in a slump as of late and is having trouble locating his pitches. Arizona skipper Torey Lovullo expressed after Wednesday's game that "there's something that's going on with his delivery" and "It's not allowing him to throw the ball where he wants to and make the pitches that he's normally making." Wednesday evening was another poor outing for the 34-year-old as he served up three free passes and two earned runs. Sewald has posted a hefty 13.50 ERA and 3.00 WHIP across his past four appearances. This is a stark contrast to earlier in the season, where he went 11-for-11 in his first save opportunities after making his season debut in May due to an early stint on the injured list. Lovullo also did not commit to whether Sewald would remain the primary ninth-inning option in the desert. If the right-hander were to shift to a lower leverage role to work out his struggles, Kevin Ginkel and A.J. Puk are strong candidates to see save opportunities.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald couldn't find his command Wednesday night, allowing two runs on three walks and one hit in one-third of an inning in a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals. Sewald entered the game with a three-run lead, and unfortunately for fantasy managers, he could not find the strike zone. He exited the game with the bases loaded, and Ryan Thompson ended up inheriting the tough task of shutting the door. Luckily, Thompson was able to bail Sewald out of a potential loss, but not before a passed ball allowed one of Sewald's runners to score. Sewald now owns a 4.39 ERA on the season and has allowed 12 runs in 10 innings pitched during the month of July, which is a complete 180 from the one earned run he had allowed in May and June combined. The Diamondbacks traded for Sewald during last season and due to the capital given up, he's got a long leash, but with Arizona only five games back in the National League West, they can ill-afford rough outings from the 34-year-old veteran. Arizona could turn to Thompson, A.J. Puk, or Kevin Ginkel to close games if Sewald continues to struggle.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald came on with a one-run lead during Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The veteran right-hander was greeted with a leadoff double by Rowdy Tellez. Sewald was able to retire the next two batters before Joey Bart smacked a game-tying double. This was a rough outing for Sewald, but he should remain the primary closer in Arizona. It's worth noting the D-Backs recently acquired A.J. Puk from the Miami Marlins. That being said, Puk could be in the mix for saves if Sewald continues to struggle.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald continued his rough stretch in Monday's 5-4 extra-innings loss to the Braves. Sewald came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two. He got the first two outs on fly-outs but then allowed a single and a game-tying home run before getting the third out on a strikeout. The 34-year-old has converted 11 of 14 save opportunities this season with a 3.93 ERA, an 8.84 K/9 rate, and a 1.96 BB/9 rate. However, his ERA is inflated by his last three appearances, in which he has allowed a combined seven earned runs and three HR. Sewald has been a solid fantasy option the past several seasons, but fantasy managers should keep an eye out over the next week to see if and how he gets used heading into the All-Star break.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald came in for a non-save situation during Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics. The D-Backs were already up four runs, but handed the ball to Sewald anyway. The right-hander struck out two batters as he tossed a perfect ninth inning on Sunday. The 34-year-old has been fantastic on the mound this season. He holds a 0.54 ERA, 0.48 WHIP, and 15/3 K/BB ratio across 18 appearances. He remains one of the top tier closing options in baseball right now.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald tossed a clean ninth inning with one strikeout to earn his 11th save of the campaign. Since allowing one run in his first outing of the season on May 7, the 34-year-old has now tossed 14 consecutive shutout frames. Overall, he holds a near-perfect 0.57 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and a 3:13 BB:K ratio. Sewald has strong metrics, such as a 5.6% barrel rate and 33.3% hard-hit rate, which suggest this dominance should continue in the second half of the season. The San Diego product remains a top option for saves and should continue to provide elite ratios along the way.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald earned his 10th save of the season on Tuesday. He allowed one hit to Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, no runs, and no strikeouts. The 34-year-old has now tossed 13 consecutive shutout frames with a 0.51 WHIP, and a 3:11 BB:K ratio. Sewald missed the start of the season due to an oblique injury but has looked dominant since his return. While his strikeout numbers are not in line with other elite closers, he does an excellent job of limiting hard contact with a 5.6% barrel rate and a 33.3% hard-hit rate. Sewald should remain a high-end option for saves during the second half of the season, pitching on a competing Arizona team.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Paul Sewald threw a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Sewald did not allow a baserunner while needing just 11 pitches to secure the save for his team. The 34-year-old has been excellent as Arizona's closer this season, converting all nine of his save chances while posting a 0.66 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings of work. Sewald has a firm grip on the closer's role in Arizona and should continue to provide strong fantasy numbers across the board for his managers.

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Paul Sewald picked up his fifth save in the team's 5-4 win at the New York Mets on Sunday. Sewald struck out over a scoreless inning to earn the save on Sunday. The 34-year-old threw 18 pitches, landing 11 for strikes. He has a 1.08 ERA, eight strikeouts, and an airtight 0.48 WHIP, as Sewald has allowed one earned run in his first 8 1/3 innings since returning from the injured list with a strained left oblique. Fantasy managers know Sewald will be Arizona's ninth-inning hammer as long as he's healthy.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald notched his first save of the season on Thursday, closing the door on the Cincinnati Reds in a 5-4 win. Sewald struck out a pair and didn't allow a baserunner in his inning of work. The 33-year-old veteran was making just his second appearance of the season after recovering from an oblique strain that put him out of action for all of April and the first week of May. After being used in a non-save situation in his first appearance on Tuesday, Sewald was put right back into the fire on Thursday and looked great, putting fantasy manager's worries at ease. He should continue to be the D-backs primary closer if he can stay healthy.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) saw his first action of the season in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Reds. Sewald was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day after recovering from an oblique strain. He pitched the bottom of the ninth inning up by five and allowed a solo home run with a strikeout. The result wasn't great, but the encouraging thing is that Sewald is now a fantasy-relevant closer once again. He accumulated 34 saves last season with a 32.1% strikeout rate, so he should be slotted right back into fantasy manager's lineups.

The Arizona Diamondbacks officially reinstated closer Paul Sewald (oblique) from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned right-hander Scott McGough to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. Sewald has returned from his oblique strain and should immediately return to closing duties for the Diamondbacks out of the bullpen, although he could see some extra days off as he gets eased back into the fold. In his absence, Kevin Ginkel had five saves in his 14 appearances, but he'll now go back into more of a setup role in front of Sewald. Sewald will be making his 2024 debut for the Snakes when he gets into a game after posting a career-high 34 saves with the D-backs and Seattle Mariners in 2023. Thirteen of his 34 saves came during the regular season with Arizona.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) is on the brink of returning from the 15-day injured list after he said that his minor-league rehab outing in rookie ball on Saturday went as planned. He plans on traveling with the team to Cincinnati to begin a series with the Reds on Tuesday, and manager Torey Lovullo said it was a great sign that Sewald woke up without any pain after pitching in the Arizona Complex League. The 33-year-old said he got a couple of strikeouts and ground balls during his outing over the weekend. Sewald took a step back on his rehab assignment after feeling some soreness following an outing with Triple-A Reno on April 23, but he said he hasn't "felt anything in 10 days now." When Sewald returns to the team's bullpen, he'll be the primary closer, so fantasy managers should scoop him up right away if he was dropped when he landed on the injured list.

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald (oblique) is expected to be activated from the injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The 33-year-old has been sidelined since late March due to a left oblique strain. Luckily, it sounds like Sewald is finally ready to contribute to the D-Backs bullpen. That being said, Kevin Ginkel should only hold onto the closer role through the weekend before Sewald returns.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Sewald was supposed to throw a bullpen on Sunday, but the Diamondbacks pushed him back a bit after he experienced soreness in his oblique after a minor-league rehab outing with Triple-A Reno. While the team has slowed the 33-year-old veteran down slightly, it's great news that he's still on track to throw a bullpen this week. After Wednesday's session, Sewald could make another rehab appearance before being cleared to return to Arizona's bullpen. He has yet to make his 2024 debut, but Sewald should be stashed in all fantasy leagues as Arizona's primary closer when he's healthy. He had a career-high 34 saves in 65 regular-season outings with the D-backs and Seattle Mariners in 2023.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Paul Sewald (oblique) will have his rehab slowed a bit due to soreness. He was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday but was scrapped after feeling soreness during a rehab stint with Triple-A Reno. The 33-year-old has been sidelined all season with a strained left oblique. He was on track to return from the injured list soon, but Sewald needs more time to recover from his oblique strain. Kevin Ginkel will continue to be Arizona's primary closer while Sewald is sidelined. Ginkel has been solid handling ninth-inning duties for the D-Backs, converting 4-of-6 saves while posting a 3.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and an 11:2 K: BB across 10 1/3 innings.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald (oblique) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday, and the team will likely have him appear in another rehab game if all goes well there. There was some optimism that Sewald's next appearance would come for the major-league club, but it sounds like fantasy managers will have to wait a few more days before the hurler is reinstated from the 15-day injured list due to a strained left oblique. Look for the 33-year-old right-hander to re-enter Arizona's bullpen and reclaim his closing gig sometime during Week 5 of fantasy baseball, which begins on Monday with a three-game series versus the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Righty Kevin Ginkel owns a solid 3.48 ERA (2.85 FIP), 1.16 WHIP, and 11:2 K:BB with four saves through 10 1/3 innings, but fantasy managers should be trying to make other arrangements for saves before he reverts to a setup role upon Sewald's return.