The Arizona Diamondbacks have been slowly adding to their bullpen through minor league deals. They may have found a great bargain once again.
The Diamondbacks have signed reliever Derek Law to a minor league contract, per Sports Illustrated and Good Morning Ball’s Aaron Hughes.
Law has been an effective reliever throughout his MLB career, and now has the chance to latch on with his seventh major league team.
He has a career 3.69 ERA in 322 games across eight major league seasons.
What Does Law Bring to the Arizona Diamondbacks?
The San Francisco Giants drafted Law in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He would debut in 2016 with the team, having an outstanding rookie season.
In 61 games (55 innings), Law pitched to a 2.13 ERA, striking out 50 batters and walking just nine. However, the next year was a different story.
In 41 games, Law would pitch to a 5.06 ERA with a strikingly different type of season. His control would fail him, having a 2.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The following season, he dealt with injuries and inconsistency, limiting him to seven games and a 7.43 ERA. He was subsequently traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Kevin Pillar deal.
But injuries would limit him to 91 games from 2018-22, having an ERA above 4.00 in each of those seasons.
However, he would bounce back after the Cincinnati Reds acquired him. In 2023, Law would pitch to a 3.60 ERA in 54 games. His walk numbers were still somewhat high, but he kept the ball in the ballpark.
Then in 2024, he would experience a true career renaissance. In a career-high 75 games and 90 innings pitched, he would accumulate a 2.60 ERA with 76 strikeouts with the Washington Nationals.
In fact, he was one of their more reliable relievers of the 2024 season. He seemed poised to retake control of his career trajectory.
However, he would suffer a flexor tendon injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season.
Now, he is looking to bounce back from injury and continue a good stretch of baseball with the Diamondbacks.
Where Does Law Fit On the Diamondbacks’ Roster?
The Diamondbacks have not made a huge splash in the relief market. Their only major league signing to date was right-hander Taylor Clarke.
Andrew Saalfrank, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson and Clarke are the only relievers on the major league roster with significant experience.
Because of this, Law has a solid chance of not only making the big-league roster but also pitching meaningful innings.
In fact, Law might just have the best chance of the minor league signings to do this because of his extensive experience.
If he can control his pitches, this will be a low-risk, high-reward signing for Arizona. But the job isn’t finished, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen must find more major league-capable bullpen arms, whether via trade or signing.
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