MLB Trade Deadline 2018: Marlins Deal Brad Ziegler
With the MLB Trade Deadline moving towards 4 PM, another reliever is off the market.
Just like the cast of Gilmore Girls, the D-Backs and Brad Ziegler have reunited. In one of many deadline deals made today, the Arizona Diamondbacks have reinforced a struggling pen with a familiar friend. The Marlins are one of the MLB trade deadline’s clearest sellers, and they’ve just made another deal.
This season, Ziegler has pitched pretty well for Miami. He’s appeared in 53 games and boasts a 3.98 ERA. With Keone Kela and Brad Hand already off the market, the field of available relievers is thinning. Ziegler isn’t the biggest name out there, but this is a good move on the part of Mike Hazen and the Diamondbacks.
The bullpen down in Pheonix has been shaky, to say the least. Even as recent as yesterday’s loss to the Rangers, the pen has found itself in an unignorable position. Last night, Robbie Ray went 5 and 1/3 but gave up four runs on 4 walks and 2 hits. The bullpen came in in the 6th but the following four relievers gave up five runs, giving Matt Andriese the loss.
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Brad Boxberger has been solid as the team’s closer but right now, the D-Backs are facing a tale as old as time in baseball; the problem isn’t the closer, it’s how do we get the ball to the closer?
That said, Arizona’s bullpen is not in shambles. They still have Archie Bradley, Yoshihisa Hirano, and Andrew Chafin. Now, they have Brad Ziegler.
#DBacks, #Marlins agree on Brad Ziegler trade, pending medical information, source confirms @Ken_Rosenthal report. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 31, 2018
When it comes to starters, the D-Backs are pretty strong. Zack Greinke is having his best season since his three years in LA. Not only has Grienke been pitching well, he’s consistent. He has the lowest number of no-decisions of the entire starting staff (with 7) and has struck out 143.
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Ziegler is a very solid addition for the D-Backs, but at the end of the day, will it be enough? The NL West is a completely different field of hitters. Ziegler will go from facing Bryce Harper to facing Manny Machado. He’ll go from pitching against relievers like Sean Doolittle and Anthony Swarzak to matching up against Wade Davis and Kenley Jansen.
The D-Backs have a deal in place with Miami and will send RHP pitching prospect Tommy Eveld back to the Marlins in return for Ziegler.
Next. Keone Kela Traded to the Pirates. dark
The Diamondbacks still have work to do, but then again, so does every single contender out there. With just a couple of hours left until the 4 PM PST MLB Trade deadline, more moves are undoubtedly on the horizon.