Diamondbacks Finally DFA Starter Who's Posted 7.00 ERA in 18 Starts

The Arizona Diamonbacks are fighting tooth and nail for one of the final Wild Card spots in the National League playoff race. They can ill afford to keep running out a starter every five days who has posted a 7.00 ERA this season over 18 starts. 

And with that, the Snakes have DFA'd nine-year veteran Zach Davies.

Zach Davies has been designated for assignment, Justin Martinez is called up from Reno.

— Jody Jackson (@Jody_Jackson) September 27, 2023

Davies had a $5.5 million mutual option for 2024, which clearly the D-Backs will not be picking up. Instead, they'll only have to eat a $300,000 buyout by releasing him after he clears waivers.

The Dbacks designated Zach Davies for assignment because he was not going to pitch in any meaningful baseball games going forward PLUS he has been killing the bullpen every time he pitches. Injuries to other pitchers only reason he lasted this long.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) September 27, 2023

Obviously, as noted by Arizona beat reporter John Gambadoro, Davies would not be pitching in any meaningful innings down the stretch this last week, so it no longer made sense to keep him around.  

What's most incredible for the Snakes is that they actually ran out a combined 22 starts' worth of both Davies (7.00 ERA) and Madison Bumgarner (10.26 ERA in four starts) this season, and are still in control of their own destiny in making the postseason. They currently hold down the second Wild Card spot in the NL, but just one game up in the loss column on both the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins. At least one of those three teams will not make it.

Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK