The Arizona Diamondbacks have been in search of a bona fide closer since Justin Martinez and AJ Puk went down with Tommy John surgeries in 2025.
The search has continued throughout the offseason, with many of the prominent free agent closers already off the market.
So what do the Diamondbacks do?
According to Arizona Sports insider and talk show host John Gambadoro, the solution may be an undesirable one for Diamondbacks fans, but a prudent one for General Manager Mike Hazen.
“I do expect Arizona to land a bridge closer – someone who can close games until Puk and JMart get back, then fall into a set-up role,” Gambadoro tweeted Friday morning.
What Does This Mean for the Arizona Diamondbacks?
With Puk and Martinez gone until after the All-Star Break in 2026 as a best-case scenario, the Diamondbacks are in dire need of someone to close down games.
As of now, hardly any of the current bullpen has seen much major league action. Having a bridge closer for the time being will help Arizona win games that it wasn’t able to in 2025.
During the 2025 season, the Diamondbacks blew a league-leading 29 saves. This was a disastrous mark for a team whose bullpen, and pitching in general, helped guide them to an NL pennant in 2023.
Now in 2026, the Diamondbacks must improve their bullpen to get back to their winning ways.
But who is still on the market to not only improve their bullpen, but also be a closer?
Who Should the Diamondbacks Sign?
Some of the top options still available with closing experience are David Robertson, Kirby Yates and Justin Wilson.
Robertson, entering his age-41 season, has 179 career saves under his belt. But does he have enough in the tank to put together a solid season for Arizona?
Last year, in 20 games with the Philadelphia Phillies, Robertson had a 4.08 ERA with 22 strikeouts. He hasn’t been a primary closer since 2023, but would probably be the most experienced option left.
Yates, entering his age-39 season, will be looking for a bounce-back year. In 50 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, Yates put up a terrible 5.23 ERA for the world champions and didn’t pitch in the playoffs.
However, Yates had a great season in 2024 with the Texas Rangers. In 61 games, Yates had a 1.17 ERA with 33 saves and 85 strikeouts.
Wilson, 39, doesn’t have much closing experience with just 20 career saves. However, he could be used as a bridge closer after a successful 2025. In 61 games with the Boston Red Sox, Wilson had a 3.35 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.
Evan Phillips would have been a superb option for Arizona had he not undergone Tommy John surgery in June.
It’s a complicated situation for Arizona, and one could argue that Arizona should have been more aggressive, given the needs of the bullpen. However, the Diamondbacks will reportedly make do with what they have and go into next season with the hope that Puk and Martinez will come back healthy.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Diamondbacks Search For Closer Continues: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.
