Mariners trade Sewald to D-Backs in multi-player deal

Paul Sewald is heading to the desert.

The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired the closer from the Seattle Mariners for infielder Josh Rojas and prospects Ryan Bliss and Dominic Canzone, the clubs announced Monday.

"We feel like this deal makes us a deeper, more well-balanced team, both now and moving forward," Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. "Paul was a huge part of an excellent 'pen during his three years in Seattle. I'm forever thankful for his contributions, both on and off the field."

The addition of Sewald comes after the likes of Andrew Chafin, Miguel Castro, and Scott McGough failed to secure the closing job for Arizona in recent weeks. The club has converted just 27 out of 45 save opportunities this season.

Sewald has authored a 2.93 ERA with 12.6 K/9 and 21 saves over 45 appearances for the Mariners in 2023. The 33-year-old right-hander is also arbitration-eligible through the 2024 campaign.

Meanwhile, Rojas is slashing .228/.292/.296 with zero homers and 26 RBIs over 59 games for the D-Backs this year. The majority of the 29-year-old's starts have come at third base.

Canzone, 25, was the No. 19-ranked prospect in Arizona's system, while the 23-year-old Bliss sat at No. 29, according to MLB Pipeline. Canzone has gone deep once with a .661 OPS over 15 major-league contests this season, and Bliss is slashing .332/.391/.556 with 13 round-trippers and 35 stolen bases across a combined 81 games between Double-A and Triple-A.