Boston acquires reliever Brad Ziegler from Arizona for two prospects

[reillymcshane]

Boston has acquired reliever Brad Ziegler from Arizona for prospects Jose Almonte and Luis Alejandro Basabe. Basabe was ranked 8th on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 of Red Sox prospects, while Almonte was not ranked.

 

Ziegler has been an outstanding reliever for years, and 2016 is no different, so Boston gets a quality arm for the bullpen. He is 36 years old, and will be a free agent after the season.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/07/red-sox-acquire-brad-ziegler.html

 

The move isn't anything big, but it does signal that the Dbacks are admitting they won't contend in 2016, thus guys like Ziegler (a free agent to be), are expendable.

 

It also starts what will likely be the dealing of a lot of relief pitchers around the league, as the playoff contenders fortify their bullpens for the second half. The deal puts a price on a quality arm like Ziegler (albeit an arm that is not controllable beyond 2016).

[jerichoholicninja]

I don't know if I would say he's been outstanding. He's gotten very good results but he's like Dan Kolb in that he walks a fine line every time he pitches because he's not a strike out pitcher. I've had him on my fantasy team this year and he's pretty much guaranteed to give up 2 hits an inning. Sure he'll get you a double play in there and get out of it but he does give up a lot of hits.

 

What this and the Hill trade really means is that Boston is going to do whatever it can to win this year. Like I posted in the Lucroy trade thread, Dembrowski doesn't care about prospects. All those prospects people are saying they will never trade are in play and some will be moved.

[splitterpfj]

Fernando Rodney, and now Ziegler, yes, the bullpen carousel is in spin.

[reillymcshane]

Boston just lost Craig Kimbrel for 3-6 weeks with knee surgery. A lot of contenders are looking for bullpen help.

 

Guys like Will Smith, Thornburg and Jeffress might end up be worth a lot in the next few weeks. Even Boyer or Torres may fetch a solid nugget. I wouldn't trade guys just to trade them, but the Crew should be listening.

[Austin Tatious]

Agreed, I hope we can get some good value back on the relievers.

 

I wish we had this bullpen in 2012 and 2013. We might have seen something different those years.

 

We've got up and comers like Barnes, Barrios and Magnifico coming behind our top guys now.

[Thurston Fluff]

If I was an Arizona fan I would be very concerned where they are headed. They spend like they are all in, but refuse to give up a first round draft pick to fill another need only to turn around and trade a couple prospects to fill that same need.

[1992casey]

They spend like they are all in…

 

Kind of. But after signing Greinke, payroll restrictions kept them from continuing to spend a little more to beef up the fringes of the roster.

 

Yeah, I'd be concerned too. Between the baseball operation and ownership, there seems to be no direction. A team needs to commit to a plan and stick to it. If your plan is "all in," you need to be willing to expand the payroll a bit beyond your initial budget.

[reillymcshane]

They spend like they are all in…

 

Kind of. But after signing Greinke, payroll restrictions kept them from continuing to spend a little more to beef up the fringes of the roster.

 

Yeah, I'd be concerned too. Between the baseball operation and ownership, there seems to be no direction. A team needs to commit to a plan and stick to it. If your plan is "all in," you need to be willing to expand the payroll a bit beyond your initial budget.

Arizona is this year's San Diego.

 

Trade good prospects, overpay for veteran pitching (at least with Greinke they overpaid for really good pitching), don't have adequate depth.

 

I don't think Arizona sold the farm quite like SD did last year, but their 'all in' move has lost them one of baseball's top prospects, several other highly regarded prospects, and their top pick in this year's draft. This team wasn't just two starting pitchers away from being really good. They are lucky that Lamb has emerged as an all-star.

[jerichoholicninja]

I don't think it's that they don't have a plan it's just that the guy running the ship doesn't have a clue of how to value players and prospects nor any sort of post 1980's baseball knowledge and some how Tony La Russa supports it. As much as I hate the man I at least thought he was somewhat forward thinking in terms of stats and using young players.