The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed reliever Taylor Clarke to a one-year contract, per the Diamondbacks X page.
In a corresponding move, Arizona has designated reliever Gus Varland for assignment.
To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Gus Varland was designated for assignment.
For Clarke, this will be his second stint with Arizona, which drafted him in the third round of the 2015 MLB draft out of the College of Charleston.
He spent three seasons with Arizona before signing with the Kansas City Royals, where he played from 2022 through 2023, and again in 2025.
Clarke’s First Stint With the Arizona Diamondbacks
Clarke debuted in 2019 in a swing role for Arizona. Pitching in 23 games and starting 15. His rookie year ended up being disastrous. In 84.2 innings, Clarke pitched to a 5.31 ERA, giving up 23 home runs and walking 30 batters.
During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Clarke showed much of the same, having a 4.36 ERA in 12 games (five starts). He walked 21 batters in 43.1 innings, giving up eight home runs.
In 2021, he was fully converted to a reliever, where he would pitch to a 4.98 ERA in 43 games. After the 2021 season, Arizona non-tendered Clarke.
The Royals subsequently scooped Clarke up. In 2022, Clarke pitched to a 4.04 ERA in 47 games, posting better measurables.
However, the next season, Clarke took a step back. In 58 games, Clarke pitched to a career-high 5.95 ERA.
After the 2023 season, the Royals traded Clarke to the Milwaukee Brewers, who kept him in Triple-A the entire season.
However, the Royals would once again bring Clarke back on a minor league deal. He would then reward the Royals by pitching to a 3.25 ERA, having by far the best season of his career.
The measurables were favorable towards him as well, per Baseball Savant. His walk rate finally lowered to 4.4%, in the 97th percentile. He also improved his stuff to yield a .194 batting average against, a career-best mark.
How Does Clarke Fit in Arizona?
In his final 28 games of the season, Clarke pitched to a 1.82 ERA. Because of this, Clarke is expected to be in a bullpen role with the Diamondbacks at the major league level.
In a bullpen that will be missing high-leverage relievers Justin Martinez and AJ Puk for a good chunk of the season, Clarke has a chance to get some quality innings in relief.
As of now, there is no true closer on the Diamondbacks roster. While Clarke does not have closing experience, he should be a high-leverage reliever due to the inexperience of the roster.
He also has the resume that, if injuries get the best of Arizona’s rotation, he could potentially step in and start some games.
Hoping to build off a strong 2025, Clarke should see a lot of action in a weak Arizona bullpen. As of now, Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and Clarke are the only relievers with significant major league experience.
While there is still time for the Diamondbacks to add a closer via trade or free agency, the market is getting thinner. Arizona will have to make some moves for quality bullpen arms if they hope to contend in a strong NL West.
Diamondbacks Bring Back Familiar Face to Bullpen