Breaking News: The Diamondbacks Have Signed Taylor Clarke!
In an exciting development, the Arizona Diamondbacks have officially announced the signing of relief pitcher Taylor Clarke to a one-year contract. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the team designated right-handed pitcher Gus Varland for assignment. Specific details regarding Clarke’s salary have not been disclosed; however, he is represented by the Ballengee Group.
For fans of the Diamondbacks, Clarke's name might ring a bell. He was drafted by the team out of the College of Charleston in the third round back in 2015. After four years of development, he made his major league debut in a versatile role and has since spent parts of three seasons with the Diamondbacks. Clarke transitioned almost entirely to a bullpen role during the shortened 2020 season and has predominantly served as a reliever over the last five years. Although he did see some action as a starter with the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate in 2024, his primary contributions in the major leagues have come from the bullpen.
In a surprising move, the Diamondbacks decided to non-tender Clarke after he concluded the 2021 season with an earned run average (ERA) close to 5.00. Shortly thereafter, he landed a major league contract with the Kansas City Royals, where he spent the subsequent two seasons contributing to their bullpen. While Clarke showcased respectable strikeout and walk rates, he struggled with a high batting average on balls in play, resulting in a combined ERA of 5.08 over those two seasons. His tenure with the Royals came to an end when he was traded to the Brewers, who then placed him on waivers, keeping him in Triple-A.
Despite these challenges, the Royals valued Clarke enough to re-sign him on a minor league contract last offseason. By early May, he received the call-up and delivered the best performance of his career. Standing tall at 6’4”, Clarke threw 55 and a third innings with an impressive ERA of 3.25. While his strikeout rate of 21.4% and swinging strike percentage of 10.1% were slightly below average, he excelled in limiting walks to just 4.4%. Notably, he found success particularly in the second half of the season.
However, it came as a surprise that the Royals chose not to tender him an arbitration contract, which was expected to be around $2 million. This decision set the stage for a reversal from the previous offseason when Clarke was non-tendered by Kansas City but now finds himself securing a major league deal with Arizona.
Clarke brings over five years of service time to the table, indicating that he cannot be sent down to the minors without his consent. As a result, he is expected to secure a spot in the Opening Day bullpen alongside fellow pitchers Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel. With A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez currently sidelined due to injuries, the Diamondbacks are looking to Clarke to bolster their middle innings. While he raises the overall quality of the bullpen, it is important to note that he lacks extensive high-leverage experience. As Arizona aims for a playoff push, the back-end of their bullpen remains a critical area of concern.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops!
