2022 Diamondbacks Reviews, #57: Mark Melancon

Vote breakdown

Overview

• Rating: 2.06
• 2022 stats: 62 G, 3-10, 4.66 ERA, 56.0 IP, 63 H, 37 R, 29 ER, 5 HR, 21 BB, 35 SO
• Date of birth: March 28, 1985 (37 years old)
• 2022 salary: $6 million
• 2023 status: signed $6 million; mutual option for 2023, $5 million, $2 million buyout

2022 in review

Before this year, Mike Hazen’s philosophy had been to sign relievers who were not currently closers, but had experience of the role. The results had been... mixed. But this season apparently saw a change in direction, signing Mark Melancon who was coming off a 39-save season in San Diego. We take you back to that fateful day last November, and a SnakePit re-enactment of the conversation between Hazen and Derrick Hall. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Below you’ll find a reel of Melancon’s Greatest Hits of 2022. No, really: these are the ten longest hits he allowed this year, peaking with Hunter Renfroe’s 429 ft home-run on September 9th.

2023 outlook

Having lost the closer’s position late in the season, it seems unlikely Melancon will be able to regain it for Opening Day. He’s still under contract and I can’t see the team shifting him, so he will still be in the D-backs bullpen. But I can only imagine the innings Melancon is going to see will be low-leverage, until Torey Lovullo can be convinced otherwise. I doubt we will be seeing that 2024 option getting exercised. However, reliever volatility is a real thing, so perhaps the wheel o’ bullpen will stop on lucky #7 for our ex-closer. We can but hope.