While the Arizona Diamondbacks are chasing a Wild Card berth in the MLB postseason with only a handful of games remaining in the 2026 campaign, they’ve made a personnel move involving a former Toronto Blue Jays reliever that caught some off guard.
And based on the reaction from fans of his current team, they’re making a major mistake at such a critical time of the year, with wins at a premium and a playoff berth on the line.
Former Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Derek Law Cut By The Diamondbacks
Earlier this week, the Diamondbacks announced that former Blue Jays reliever Derek Law had been designated for assignment; in a corresponding move, they reinstated RHP Rhyne Nelson from the 60-Day Injured List.
The move is especially curious considering how strong Law’s stats are in a limited sample size, as he’s recorded an impressive 1.00 ERA over seven starts since his return in late August after having undergone forearm surgery.
This was a strange move in the eyes of fans, who didn’t exactly take kindly to the news when it was announced.
This fan said, “DFA the 1.00 reliever but keep Gallen and Pavin. Wonder why ur gonna miss the playoffs.”
Another fan wrote, “yeah dfa the guy who has a 1.00 era. the bullpen has been improved since they added him too, veteran presence. dumb move dbacks.”
Keeping in that vein, this fan said, “Terrible move. Should have been Gallen. Law is just better for what the role Gallen is going into become. That bullpen just lost a huge asset.”
“This organization cares more about the players feelings then they do about winning,” lamented another fan.
With a measured take, this fan wrote, “There don’t appear to be on the field baseball performance reasons to keep Zac Gallen on the roster in a bullpen role over Derek Law.”
Sarcastically, this fan exclaimed, “So let’s hurt the only part of the team that’s keeping us in games? SMART!”
And finally, this fan said, “Gallen should have been DFA’d. What little pitching Derek Law did, he got great results. Management, MH & TL, sucks ass. The ‘deer in the headlights look’, and that ‘so impressed stare’, often seen when pitchers implode and RISP grow weeds where they stand. 😠”
Derek Law Spent One Year With The Blue Jays
Law joined the Giants organization as a ninth-round pick in 2011 and quickly established himself as a promising relief prospect. He posted a 2.31 ERA with 14 saves and 102 strikeouts in 2013 across three minor-league levels, including an impressive 45-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio at San Jose, later earning an invitation to Major League Spring Training the following year.
He eventually reached the majors with the Giants in 2016 after recovering from Tommy John surgery, posting a 2.13 ERA in 61 appearances as a rookie.
He later bounced between several organizations, including Toronto, Minnesota, Detroit and Cincinnati, before finding a more consistent role with Washington in 2024, when he recorded a 2.60 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 90 innings.
After missing most of 2025 following forearm surgery, Law returned with Arizona in 2026 and posted a 1.00 ERA in nine innings before being DFA’d.
Fans Angered After Former Blue Jays Pitcher Suddenly Cut By Current Team