Since winning the National League pennant in 2023, the Arizona Diamondbacks have proven that they can still win baseball games, but they have not been good enough to get back to the playoffs. 

Despite an 86-76 record this season, the Diamondbacks failed to secure a Wild Card spot in the highly competitive NL landscape. Now, with both manager Torey Lovullo and general manager Mike Hazen back in the fold, fans might be questioning what needs to change for Arizona. 

Recently, owner Ken Kendrick made it clear he wants to trim payroll, so there is a good chance that certain key players may not be back, but what about those who played for the Diamondbacks on a one-year deal in 2026? 

Reliever Taylor Clarke falls into the latter category.

Clarke, the 33-year-old right-hander who had initially spent the first three seasons of his Major League Baseball career with the Diamondbacks after they selected him with the 76th pick in the third round of the 2015 MLB draft, reunited with the organization on a one-year, $1.5 million deal for the 2026 season.

Clarke had spent the previous three years with the Kansas City Royals and was coming off a campaign in which he went 1-1 with a 3.25 ERA and a career-best 0.85 WHIP in 51 appearances. 

This season, Clarke made 20 more appearances, and while his ERA improved to 2.96, he posted a 2-4 win-loss record and also blew both of the save opportunities he received. His WHIP also increased to 1.00.

Clarke's appearances (71) and his innings pitched (73) were both career highs, as was his ERA. He was solid for the Diamondbacks, but this is a team that needs to improve its bullpen. 

Among the 30 MLB teams, Arizona's relievers finished 16th in ERA (4.07), 21st in saves (38) and 18th in opponent batting average (.241). 

Pitching overall was a struggle for the Diamondbacks in 2026, and it will be interesting to see how the front office navigates improvements in that area with Kendrick bearing down on costs. 

The good news for Clarke is that he was not an expensive signing, and there is a good chance he would not be expensive to retain. If Arizona wanted to bring him back, another one-year deal feels logical, and it feels like Clark was deserving of that. 

If Clarke does end up coming back, it is probably best not to put him in the role of a closer. Two save opportunities might be a small sample size, but not securing either of them is not a great look. 

Moreover, he has struggled as a closer throughout his career, posting just eight saves in 20 opportunities.

Otherwise, it was encouraging that Clarke registered a career-best ERA while seeing the most time on the field he has had throughout his career.