D-backs Roster Moves: Morillo Recalled, Varland Claimed, Graveman and Brigham DFA’d

The Diamondbacks continue their search for more bullpen depth, making a series of roster moves ahead of their series opener against the Texas Rangers. The team has announced they've claimed Gus Varland off waivers from the Chicago White Sox and they've recalled Juan Morillo from Triple-A Reno. Kendall Graveman and Jeff Brigham have been designated for assignment. Varland has been optioned to Reno.

Bullpen Implications

The D-backs are looking for the right combination of arms heading into the 2026 season. Juan Morillo was going to be one of the arms getting a thorough evaluation in the stretch run. Averaging 99 MPH on both a four-seamer and sinker, he has the high-octane stuff to develop into a backend arm. It's just a matter of throwing strikes and trusting his stuff, because it plays.

Morillo is on his third stint with the club. In 31 games, he's pitched to a 4.94 ERA in 27.2 innings. He's produced a strikeout rate of 23.0% and a walk rate of 13.1%. He's been wobbly out of the pen, particularly in key situations, with more meltdowns (8) than shutdowns (6).

Jeff Brigham was deemed as one of the arms that won't be part of their future. He posted solid strikeout and walk rates with Triple-A Reno. However, his lasting memory will be when he blew a 4-0 lead to the Seattle Mariners with two outs in the 9th inning. That would be his last outing in the big leagues before he was optioned. He's currently in his second stint on the injured list with Reno.

Arizona is looking for the right mix of right-handers for 2026. They're giving Juan Burgos, Andrew Hoffman, John Curtiss, and Jake Woodford looks before the end of the season. With the long-term health of Kevin Ginkel's shoulder up in the air, there aren't any proven righties in the bullpen. The final 45 games will hopefully clarify that picture, although they'll need to get someone in the offseason to address the bullpen.

Why Kendall Graveman Was DFA'd

The D-backs brought in Graveman as a means to add veteran depth to a bullpen that was initially strong in the back end but weak elsewhere. At initial glance, it seemed like a bargain considering his past track record and relatively lower cost at $1.35 million guaranteed.

It was a matter of finding a bridge to Kevin Ginkel, Justin Martinez, and A.J. Puk. Those three pitchers suffered serious arm injuries in 2025.

What was originally Graveman's intended role went to Shelby Miller when a lower lumbar strain resulted in him starting the season on the injured list. Graveman did not return until May, pitching in nine games before getting sidelined with a hip injury. By the time he returned, other relievers started making the most of their opportunities.

Graveman ultimately was unable to build enough trust to be more than what manager Torey Lovullo describes as a "negative guy". That role is typically used when the team is playing from behind, needing their relievers to put up a scoreless inning for the offense to come back. However, he struggled in that role with a 7.13 ERA and more walks (12) than strikeouts (9) over 17.2 innings.

With the team needing to open up space on the roster for Varland, Graveman was deemed expendable.

Who is Gus Varland?

Varland came up through the Los Angeles Dodgers' system before being taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. He faced Arizona on April 12, 2023, surrendering the first two earned runs of his career. He was ultimately offered back to the Dodgers and made a handful of appearances before being claimed off waivers by the White Sox in 2024. He was DFA'd on August 7th by Chicago.

Varland hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2024, but we still have pitch shape data to report. That season, he heavily relied on a four-seamer/slider mix, accounting for 94% of his pitches. His four-seamer averaged 95.3 MPH with big movement (18.1" induced vertical break, 11.1" arm-side break). His slider is in the bullet shape, with just a 21% spin efficiency and a near 0/0 shape (0.8" iVB, 1.2" GLV).