Arizona Diamondbacks 2024 Player Review: Andrew Saalfrank

Andrew Saalfrank was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft from Indiana University. After a very solid season pitching in AA and AAA he burst onto the scene to make his major league debut on September 5, 2023 as a 25 year old rookie.

The left-handeer did not allow an earned run in his 10 appearances that month, although he did give up two unearned runs, and allowed one of four inherited runners to score. He walked six batters, but managed to limit any damage.

Saalfrank made the 2023 Postseason roster and pitched decently in his first three games. But his control left him in the NLCS against the Phillies as he walked seven batters in five games while recording just six outs.

Heading into spring training he was competing with fellow left-hander Kyle Nelson for a spot in the opening day bullpen. But he walked five batters in nine innings, and the team optioned him to the Reno Aces on March 22.

Saalfrank made eight appearances with Reno and then was called up on April 23. Appearing in two games, he struggled with his control once again, walking four batters and giving up four runs while recording just three outs. He was optioned back to Reno on May 1.

The Suspension

He pitched decently enough over the next month, but then the bombshell dropped. Major League Baseball announced that Saalfrank had been suspended for one year for violating MLB's betting policy. The following is excerpted from MLB's release at the time.

Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League pitcher Andrew Saalfrank has been declared ineligible for one year for violating MLB’s sports betting rules and policies, including Rule 21(d)(1).

Betting data shows that from September 9, 2021 through October 29, 2021, and on March 9, 2022, Saalfrank placed all of his MLB-related bets, including four bets involving the Diamondbacks’ Major League team, while he was assigned to and on the Injured List of the Diamondbacks’ Low-A affiliate. 

·       In total, Saalfrank bet $445.87 on baseball, with $444.07 of that on MLB-related bets (an average of approximately $15.86 per bet) and with a net loss of $272.64 on MLB bets.  Ultimately, Saalfrank only won five of his 28 MLB-related bets and lost his $1.80 college bet. 

·       Saalfrank’s MLB bets included parlays, which sometimes included multiple MLB-related legs and would sometimes include MLB-related legs and non-MLB legs.  Saalfrank’s bets varied, including who would win the game, the over/under of strikeouts by a pitcher, or whether there would be more or less than a certain number of runs scored in the game

·       Saalfrank did not appear in any of the games on which he bet, and he did not make any bets involving his assigned team.  There is no evidence to suggest — and Saalfrank denies — that any outcomes in the baseball games on which he placed bets were compromised, influenced, or manipulated in any way.

Related Content: MLB announces sports betting suspensions for 5 players

2025 and beyond

Whether Saalfrank has any future with the Arizona Diamondbacks remains to be seen. He will still only be 27 years old next season. The exact date that his suspension ends is not quite clear, but it stands to reason that the earliest he could potentially return to an MLB mound is sometime mid-season 2025.

As a left-handed reliever with some very moderate success in MLB, including Postseason experience, he should be able to get another chance. His suspension was for one year, not a lifetime. He was a young, bored, minor leaguer on the injured list when he made the bets in question. Bad choices for sure, but not worthy of condemnation for life.

Beyond the suspension, his control problems must be overcome if he is to have a future in MLB. It's also notable that he lost two MPH on his fastball from 2023 to 2024. Including Postseason, he pitched in 59 games and threw 80 innings in 2023. So there might have been a workload hangover.

Therefore even if the Diamondbacks are willing to give him another chance, he may still have a ways to go before he can contribute in a positive way to a major league ball club. He is a left-hander however, and there is always a market for such pitchers.