Time to Replace Paul Sewald as Closer? Why the Rotation is the Biggest Wild Card in the Second Half

what are we discussing on today's locked on Dbacks podcast is it time for the Dbacks to explore their closing options and why the rotation is the biggest wild card for the dback second half of the [Music] Season you are a locked on Diamond Backs your daily Arizona Diamondbacks podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every [Music] day welcome into the lock on Dbacks podcast part of the lockdown podcast Network your team every day you're listening to who the always charismatic host of this podcast Miller Thomas a multimedia journalist and a graphic designer so please go check out my website Miller thomas2 24. portfolio.com on there you can see all my latest work from my packages to my articles to my photos and my graphic design today's episode is brought to you by Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase terms apply today's lockdown dback podcast we'll talk about Paul sewald and if it's time for a new closer the hottest Dbacks from July as we enter the next series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and why the rotation is the biggest wild card in the second half of the Season thank you for making lockdown dimeback at first listen every day I would not be able to do this podcast without you my loyal listeners sharing subscribing reviewing doing all that so I could do this podcast for you thank you it's free it's available on all platforms so please continue to tell your friends and one of those platforms is YouTube so please hit subscribe to locked on diamondb on YouTube all right all right all right let's get back into the lock down dback podcast and discuss if the Dbacks need a new closer because we watched that finale against the Washington Nationals Dbacks were able to get the cherry on top to a perfect month of July they did not lose one series the whole month now did they win every series no because they split one series against the Braves but they did not lose any series the whole month the offense looked fantastic for the most part the pitching was fine of course there was a couple guys who were a little shaky as we'll talk about on this podcast but it was a very good month of July baseball for the Dbacks and they finished it off with just their Second Sweep of the year against the Washington Nationals so Dbacks are feeling good they even own wild card spot now right kind of crazy we've talked about how the Dbacks keep playing good baseball but hasn't mattered no Dbacks now currently the owners of the third wild card spot at the time of me recording this podcast and what today's gonna be Thursday Dbacks don't play today the Mets don't play today uh do the Padre's no the Padre's don't play today either so Dbacks will go into Friday as well as the holders of the third wall card spot something we've been waiting for so long for the Dbacks to do they've been playing great baseball all month long but so have the other NL teams so it's been a long road for the Dbacks to get back to this point but currently if the season ended today the Dbacks would be in the postseason and it feels so good to say last night's game offense once again continue to cook they look good all series against the Nationals coming off that game number two where every player in their lineup had a hit even two dudes who pinch it had a hit where they continued that with the finale where again almost got almost every dude had a hit except for paven Smith he was the only dude in the lineup who not who did not get a hit and he even still got an RBI so everyone was at least productive for the Dbacks in the finale except really for one guy that really struggled for the Dbacks and he has been struggling the entire month of July and that is the the Crux of this conversation about to have is it time for the Dbacks to CLA to change their closer is it time to move on from Paul seaal if you're the Dbacks that doesn't mean you have to DFA him but is it time for a switch is it time to put someone else in that closing row because right now Paul sewald is not getting it done and when you think about this Dbacks team how they've been playing as a unit the rotation the bullpen the lineup like all of it's been fine but Paul sewald in the back end has really held this Bullpen back uh this month and there was a couple games where you could look at where the Dbacks could have had an even better month of July right the Dodgers the Padres if Paul sewald didn't blow a couple of those games and so right now the conversation surrounding the Dbacks the the player struggling the most right now for Arizona is a Paul sewald and we know to lello he loves commitment to his guys and at times it works out right we were really upset with how long he stayed committed to the Jayce Petersons and even the paven Smiths last year and guys who we know just aren't producers sometimes toy lell has stucked with them so much and stayed committed to them for way too long and even this season right how many DB fans I know I won of them that said Yano Suarez need to be a DFA Yano Suarez needs to be traded like anything Play Blaze Alexander over him just use yeno as a platoon guy like we were begging for Tory lell to stop playing yeno so much Tory never stopped and then yino went on to have the best month of July of maybe any MLB player of this month and so sometimes being committed to a player works and right now Paul sewald is getting that commitment for to from Tory lello and I'm not sure how long that commitment should be maybe after the finale against the Nationals maybe that was the last time we saw Paul seald as a closer gambo kind of hinted on it but you know with toy lell you just never know right now it feels like the entire Dbacks fan base is against Paul sewald and you can see why when looking at his numbers for the month of July he was absolutely crushed this month he was really good prior to July I want to First say that prior to July Paul sea Wald was killing it 6.2 16 point2 Innings pitch one earn run and he had converted 11 saves like he was fantastic prior to July had a sub one eay like he was absolutely Elite sub. five whip like the numbers were insane that Paul sea Wald was putting up basically a strikeout for every Innings pitch like he was Elite prior to July but you look at his numbers this month he's been horrendous 12 earn runs over 10 Innings pitched he a 10.8 eay multiple blown games Paul sea Walt has been getting crushed and the issue is he throws that fast ball it rises right up to the middle of the plate and it just sits there and opposing batters are just crushing it it's like the kind of Perfect Pitch you see when you play MLB the Show just that 90 M hour fast ball that just Rises right up to the upper part of the strike zone that just like the perfect Home Run Spot like you can see these opposing batters teeing off against Paul sea Walt and some of these at bats in that's the biggest question that maybe the Dbacks have to answer right now is it time for a Paul seaw Wall change is it time for a new closer I unfortunately think the answer is yes I love what Paul C weld brought to the Dbacks last year we needed him at the deadline the Dbacks hadn't had a closer for so long ever since I took over this podcast in 2020 I think closing games has been the biggest issue for the Dbacks and getting poliy W last year felt like waking up on Christmas morning it felt like me waking up on Christmas morning I'll make the story personal when I woke up on Christmas morning 12 years ago how old am I now 26 so maybe 12 years ago was I no maybe maybe longer than that maybe like 14 years ago waking up Christmas morning and seeing a we under the Christmas tree that nothing made me more happy as a kid than waking up and seeing a Wei and for Paul seaal trade deadline nothing made me happier as a Dbacks fan than to finally see oh my God the DB backs got a closer it was like when I got a Wii it was like finally we're going to have a good time and seaal was great the second half last year maybe in the regular season it was a little bit more up and down but in the postseason as we know up until that first game of the World Series against the Rangers he was Nails no earn runs and he was a major critical piece as to why the Dbacks got to the World Series and for most of this season prior to July same thing with Paul seaal we were begging for him to come back he was hurt the beginning of the year remember how bad our closing situation was early on with Kevin GLE struggling and we couldn't really find a guy to replace Paul sewald sewald came back immediately started dominating now he's been bad in the month of July and so it's hard with Paul seal right we've seen him be so good for the Dbacks we've waited so long for a good closer and then he has a three- week four-week bad stretch with the team and now everyone's off the seaw wild train everyone's off the seaw wild bandwagon unfortunately I think it's the right decision because unless sewald can start throwing harder add a little bit more movement to that fast and stop keeping it uper middle part of the Zone there's no reason why he should be the closer right now for the Dbacks there's too many quality options in the back end of the bullpen for the Dbacks for toy lell to keep going to Sea Wald in the ninth inning think about your options if you're the Dbacks you got Ryan Thompson you got Justin Martinez you got Kevin gingle got AJ Puck you got Dylan FL floro and Puck have have been closers in the past maybe not like 40 save guys but Puck has a season with 15 saves floro has a couple Seasons with double digit saves like both of those guys have been in closing situations Ginko has done it for the Dbacks Martinez has the Arsenal to do it Ryan Thompson's Elite and high leverage moments like the Dbacks have five guys that are quality options to be your everyday closer or you know what I'm also not mad if the dback took it g game by game of who's going to be the closer in the ninth inning because I think you could rotate all those guys through the ninth inning to be the closer for the Dbacks but the one guy I wouldn't do that with right now is a Paul sewald what I would do with Paul sewald is give him that Kevin GLE treatment that we saw lll do at the earlier that we saw LEL do earlier in the year where GLE was the closer for the Dbacks when sea Wald was out he was struggling in that ninth inning roll so what did lllo do said GLE let's reset let's build your confidence back up let's put you in some lower leverage moments let's put you out there in the fifth the sixth inning and all of a sudden the seventh inning then all of a sudden the eighth inning and just work his way up through leverage situations low medium high and you built his confidence up I think that's what we need right now at Paul sewald if I'm doing a power ranking of the relievers I trust in this deback Bullpen like dead L is either probably a man Supply or Paul seaal and seall is probably behind a Joe manly right now because at least manly I I feel good about him against a lefty seald I don't know if I feel good about him against anybody right now so for the Dbacks a team with such high aspirations a team that's playing such good baseball right now I think they have to make a change at the closing situation we all love Paul cald but I think it's time for a new closer now we'll talk about the hottest Dbacks not the Paul SE wals we're talk about the hot Dbacks from July as we preview the next series against the Pittsburgh Pirates in segment number too but hey if you're looking for supplies I suggest Supply housee because get supplies from the site that's made for the skill trades supplyhouse.com supplyhouse.com is a reliable way to order Plumbing HVAC electrical products online their easy to use website is packed with helpful resources and the latest product info to help you get the job done right shop a complete inventory of over 200,000 parts 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enter the month of August and we pray these players can keep it going because the first guy I want to talk about is the star of the Arizona Dbacks the face of the franchise arly probably not this season but I think you would have definitely said it last year Corbin Caroll because we're finally getting some signs of life from Corbin Carroll and it feels good to see Corbin Carroll finally starting to come alive just a little bit and make an impact for this team offensively we've been waiting all season long for it to happen he has been so bad this year and July wasn't exactly Elite but from what we saw the first couple months of the Season July was very kind to courton Carroll did he still bat 221 in the month of July yes but overall Ops over 800 he had a 512 slugging in the month of July absolutely showed some power this month which is so critical because the Dbacks Outfield right now hasn't shown a ton of power this season and Corbin Carrol finally start to tap into the power Department once again is super important for the Dbacks as they now add another offensive element to this lineup Carol had a 124 WRC Plus in the month of July which means he was 24 points above average 100 is considered average he was considered 24 points above average and even with that being said that was still eighth on this dback team that's how good this team was in the month of July like 124 WRC plus typically that's not too bad for a player you actually don't mind that over the course of a full season a 124 like that's fine like right now if you actually looked at the course of a full season guys who are putting up a 124 or just around that like Christian Walker WRC plus right now 125 so basically Corbin Carroll played the entire month offensively like he was Christian Walker from a WRC plus perspective like that tells you how you know quality and at least good Corbin Carroll was this past month he at least played to a Christian Walker level and we've considered Christian Walker the best first baseman in the NL arguably this season definitely an Allstar level first baseman and so Corbin Cary can say played like an All-Star level first baseman I guess in the month of July he had six home runs this month month as we talk about the power that he finally started to tap into a little bit this month uh and he also had six stolen bases we know the speed is always going to be there for Corbin Carrol but I think the slugging is the biggest thing also led the team in run scor this month like I love the fact that we finally start to see some L Signs of Life from Corb Carrol because of course we know he's the most Dynamic Athlete we have and if we don't get him going uh it it's tough to see the Dbacks winning a World Series with Corbin Carroll not being a quality player how about another guy Jake The Rake McCarthy a guy that I've always said he's been one of my favorite players on this team love Jake The Rake we're going to have conversations in the future right when we have a Josh Bell when a Christian Walker gets back like if we keep Josh Bell one of these guys has to go and I've been petitioning not Jake McCarthy I'm team Jake McCarthy over Alec Thomas if we ever have to make that decision because I just like Jake McCarthy overall I think he's a quality baseball player Maybe defensively is not good as Alec Thomas but overall I think he's just a better player he's not great at anything except maybe speed but just solid contact ability he's doing good against lefties this season like I just trust him at the plate to do something positive whether it's a bun for a single or running it out for a single just punching it to left or right field like he doesn't do a lot but he does just enough and this month he was just cranking it at the plate with base hit after base hit and again if you go by WRC plus Jake McCarthy 152 this month h a 345 average this month he had a 517 slugging the thing with uh Jake McCarthy we always say he has no power right well 517 slugging how dides Jake McCarthy get there with no power well because he had four triples in the month of July and only what 58 at bats with a couple doubles as well so you don't need home run to provide Power jige McCarthy was the triple machine in the month of July and with the speed he possesses I I love seeing Jake McCarthy at the top of the lineup right now if you're going to put a lefty at the top of the lineup it should probably be Jake McCarthy over Corbin Carroll like I didn't mind the lineup the other day when it was like Jake McCarthy batting second against the Lefty on the mound and he actually came through in that game in a big way as well so Jake McCarthy want to see more of him going forward because he's been so good for the Dbacks Gabriel morine know he's been on fire in the month of July for the Dbacks 329 average over 400 OBP with over with over 400 slugging as well for like a 860 Ops in the month of July he's been crushing it his walk rate in the month of July higher than his strikeout rate which just tells you how locked in Gabrielle has been and I love seeing him bat number two as we've talked about on a previous pod when you look at the numbers you can actually look at Splits on baseball reference where if a guy's batting first first where's numbers batting first batting second batting third the numbers tell you when Moreno's batting second for the Dbacks he is putting up MVP level numbers he looks like a superstar WIS batting second so love toy lll doing that then of course the best position player from July Yano Suarez crushed it we won't even have to talk about him that much because we've talked about him so much on the on this podcast in July but 333 average 398 OBP and the big number 733 three slugging for Yano Suarez this month insane he had 10 home runs he had six doubles which was also tied for the team lead with a Gabrielle Moreno and then also his WRC plus 206 100 is considered average so what is a 206 considered then Yano was insane this month and do have to get props to toor lell for sticking with his guy through the struggles now the other area though is surprisingly really good for the D backs in the month of July that you wouldn't think of because of Paul sewalt struggles but the bullpen in the month of July very nice a 3o4 ER sea Wald allowed 12 of the 38 earn runs in the month of July the other 12 guys only allowed 26 earn runs that means basically two earn runs a guy for the whole month elite elite stuff you go up and down the relievers that produced for the Dbacks this past month and it was basically everyone outside of Paul seaal was pretty good uh Martinez struggled a little bit 402 e in the month of July but he also had the most Innings pitched so I'm not too worried with a jart I think he'll be fine going forward but GLE Jarvis Ryan Thompson all had sub two eays in the month of July now we got AJ puck in the building now we got floro back like I really like the way there's Dbacks Bullpen is set up I think it's very strong for this final stretch of the season for Arizona and then the final guy I want to talk about from the month of July Ryan Nelson right the Dbacks will Face Paul skin in the finale against the Pirates and we know paulk's absolutely nasty he has a chance as a rookie not even starting day one to potentially win the NL sa Young Award because that's how nasty he's been but he will have to face off against arguably the best Dbacks pitcher from the month of July in a Ryan Nelson who just was fantastic and you have never expected it because of the struggles we've seen from Ryan Nelson he has never put together a stretch of dominance like this before but 32 Innings pitch in the month of July five starts he even had five innings out the pen as well so if you look at his uh numbers just as a starter for the month of July over five starts 251 eay most Innings pitch this month in the rotation 30 strikeouts as well led the team as well in that category he has been fantastic for the Dbacks this month month love the development of Ryan Nelson and he will be going against Paul skin in the finale as the Dbacks try to keep up their streak of not losing a series the last series the Dbacks lost was against the Minnesota Twins June 27th that was the last series they lost they haven't lost one since then so we'll see how long the Dbacks can keep it going as they face off the Pittsburgh Pirates next but now I want to talk to you guys about why the rotation is the biggest wild card for for this dback team in the second half of the season but if you're feeling dehydrated then I suggest liquid IV because when you're taking in America's pastime don't forget to hydrate with liquid IVs popsicle firecracker flavor a Sure Fire summer hip get hydrated with electrolytes essential vitamins and clinically tested nutrients from the number one powdered hydration brand in America because baseball in summer go together like liquid IV and indulgent hydration tear pour live more one 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off your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code MLB liquid i.com all right all right all right let's get back to the lockdown Diamondbacks podcast and let's discuss why the rotation is key to this Dbacks team in the second half of the season because as you can currently see and and as we laid out this lineup is cooking for the Dbacks right we just went through it how everyone is phenomenal Yano Marte jock Jake McCarthy Gabriel Christian Walker even a Jose Herrera and Corbin Carroll all those guys that just named over a 100 WRC Plus in the month of July those guys are cooking for the Dbacks you look at the bullpen as I just said 3.4 eray and that's with a 10.8 eray from Paul sewald so take out Paul sewald think about how nasty then that Bullpen has been in the month of July look at the rotation that is now the biggest area of concern I have I feel good about the lineup I feel good about the bullpen outside of Paul seaal but the rotation now when I think about it it is the biggest area of concern it is the biggest wall card to this dback second half it is the only area where I don't feel 100% confident in right now because like I said if the season ended today the Dbacks own a wild card spot and they would be in the postseason but also if the season ended today the rotation is currently not fit for the playoffs as much as I love Ryan Nelson and the yilber Diaz's do I trust them in the postseason I don't know I think I trust Ryan Nelson more than Jordan Montgomery right now that's kind of the Crux of this argument as well Zack Allen just finished the month of July with over a 5.2 era that's with the Good Start against the Nationals uh most recently right that's with his good finale against the Nationals he still had a 5.1 earay in the month of July so you need to get Zach gallon cooking again hopefully he can build off the momentum that we saw from him in the finale Jordan Montgomery over a seven eay in the month of July that's not too good either right most of the rotation is still hurt and who knows when they will come back right and when they do come back are they going to look healthy immediately they going to be effective immediately like that's why this rotation is the biggest area of concern for me right now because of the postseason start today I don't feel good about Zack Allen I don't feel good about Jordan Montgomery and then there's no Merl Kelly there's no Eduardo Rodriguez the DB back's biggest Focus for the rest of the season should be figure out the closer with Paul sewald and then number two get this rotation together you need Zack Allen to get back on the bump Zack we need you to lock in become the ace that we know you are and get back to what we've seen Brandon F you're good keep doing what you're doing Jordan Montgomery right now until Kelly and Rod get back and prove to and prove themselves like this is a period where you have to prove yourself Jordan Montgomery right now Ryan Nelson's pitching great and for Jordan Montgomery who's been awful for the Dbacks this season it's a conversation if there is a healthy Kelly a healthy rrod healthy gallon a healthy fought and all four of those guys look good that number five starter will come down to Monty or Ryan Nelson and R and right now Ryan Nelson is winning that job but then you also have to question is Kellen iri going to come back and immediately be good because if they're not going to be then maybe Jordan Montgomery does stay in the rotation like that's why there's so many surrounding this rotation right now with the health with with the play this rotation biggest concern for the Dbacks I do like the spot starters right now the Diaz's the Ryan Nelson like all them are pitching pretty well for the Dbacks and I do like that for a more long-term play but for this season in terms of the Dbacks chances of winning the World Series the rotation has to get healthy and they have to start peing as we enter the playoffs right they need to start picking it up as we enter the playoffs I think Brandon F going to continue to emerge in the second half of the season and you pray Zach Allen can start to emerge as he gets healthier off the injured list you pray that he gets better this second half of the season and then Jordan Montgomery Merill Kelly and Rod I have full confidence in maral Kelly coming back and being good so right now my one 12 three gallon Kelly F I feel good about that then you just pray between Monte and Rod you just need one of those two guys to hit for the postseason and then you could do the other one as your number five cter for the regular season or stick with Ry Nelson but for the playoffs we need either a gallon or excuse me for the playoffs we need either a Monty or IRA to hit in the second half of the season so the Dbacks can have their playoff rotation and one other thing we haven't really discussed on this podcast when and we'll talk about this later on on a podcast because we we'll really have to dive into the the topic but eventually when rod and Kelly comes back like the Dbacks are going to have to get rid of two pitchers on this team and it's easy to say okay option Diaz but then what do you do after that do you demote oryan Nelson do you maybe like DFA a a Paul sea Wald and then put like a Jordan Montgomery in the bullpen or put a Ryan Nelson in the bullpen like the Dbacks are going to have to make some decisions with the pitchers on this roster once the rotation gets healthy but that's step number one get their rotation healthy and get everyone playing good baseball because you have to figure out over the next couple months who your playoff rotation is going to be the Dbacks do not have that figured out right now gallon and fought are two locks because they are healthy I feel like Kelly will be a lock once he gets back in healthy but he's probably going to be coming back the latest of the injured starters so that's why there just so many question marks up in the air that's why this dback Bullpen is the biggest wild card right now I feel good about the lineup I feel good about the depth and the Bullpen the dback rotation has the pieces to be there for World Series team but right now they're not there they're not healthier they're not healthy and they're not playing at their absolute best so the rotation is the biggest wild card and hopefully it comes around in the second half of the season now that's it for this edition of the locked on Dbacks podcast come back tomorrow for more Dbacks news coverage and insight and as always stay safe stay healthy doses