D-backs Bring Back Brad Ziegler To Lengthen Bullpen

Looking to bolster their bullpen, the D-backs turned toward a familiar face.

The D-backs acquired 38-year-old righthander Brad Ziegler from the Marlins on Tuesday in exchange for 24-year-old righthander Tommy Eveld.

Ziegler pitched from 2011-2016 with the D-backs, who originally acquired him from the Athletics at the 2011 trade deadline. He’s on the second year of a two-year contract he signed with the Marlins and will be a free agent after the season, but he could help the D-backs as they chase the first-place Dodgers down the stretch in the National League West.

Ziegler lengthens a bullpen headlined by closer Brad Boxberger and righthander Archie Bradley—a group that already ranks third in the NL in runs allowed per game (3.94).

 

D-BACKS ACQUIRE:

Brad Ziegler, RHP
Age: 38

The sidearming reliever will add another dimension to the D-backs’ bullpen, as he gets by more on guile and deception than pure velocity. Ziegler was a cog in the bullpen during his six seasons in Arizona, posting a 2.49 ERA and tallying 62 saves in 335.2 innings—more innings than he’s pitched for any other team. Ziegler struggled some in the first half for the Marlins this year, going 1-5, 4.40 in 47 innings, but he hasn’t allowed a hit or a run in his last five appearances since the All-Star break. The D-backs will owe him $3.5 million for the remainder of the season before he becomes a free agent this offseason.

 

MARLINS ACQUIRE:

Tommy Eveld, RHP
Age: 24

In return for an established bullpen arm in Ziegler, the Marlins received a high-upside righthander with the chance pitch in late relief at the next level. The D-back’s No. 25 prospect, Eveld is a converted quarterback who walked on to the South Florida baseball team in 2015 and was drafted in the ninth round in 2016. His athleticism and football mindset shine through on the mound, where he attacks aggressively with a fastball that ranges from 92-97 mph and a slider that flashes above-average. He excelled in relief at high Class A Visalia to open the season, posting an 1.11 ERA and striking out 42 to just seven walks in 36.1 innings. He was promoted to Double-A Jackson on July 23, where he has yet to allow a run in three appearances. Eveld had among the best stuff in the D-backs’ organization and could factor in the Marlins’ bullpen sooner than later.