Prospects in the Brad Ziegler Trade

by John Sickels on Jul 31, 2011 5:15 PM EDT

Prospects in the Brad Ziegler Trade

The Oakland Athletics traded veteran pitcher Brad Ziegler to the Arizona Diamondbacks, receiving first baseman Brandon Allen and left-handed pitcher Jordan Norberto in return.

Brandon Allen,1B: Allen isn't a rookie at this point, having exceeded the plate appearance qualifications last year, but he hasn't fully established himself yet so I will write him up. A fifth round pick of the White Sox in 2004, he was traded to Arizona in 2007 and has been trying to take over the first base job for the last year or so. He hit .306/.427/.579 with 18 homers, 64 walks, and 90 strikeouts in 304 at-bats for Triple-A Reno this year before his recent promotion to the majors. He will take a walk and has excellent raw power from the left side, but problems with contact are likely to limit his batting average. I'd give him a Grade C+/B- at this point. He is still fairly young at 25 and the power is attractive.

Jordan Norberto, LHP: A Dominican lefty signed in 2004, Norberto has a quality fastball in the low-90s, along with a decent curveball and changeup. He has a 4.25 ERA with a 54/26 K/BB in 49 innings this year for Reno, but serious command problems resulted in a 5.85 ERA with a 15/22 K/BB in 20 major league innings last year. He can be a relief asset if he throws strikes. He is 25 years old. Grade C.

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Thought for sure, Allen would've gone to the Rays

Really surprised they didn’t make a move to get Allen, or Alonso from the Reds.

by dbreer23 on Jul 31, 2011 5:59 PM EDT reply actions

As a Dback fan, this front office leaves me scratching my head...

for every great move they make they do some stupid sh-t and the organization seems to lack direction. Two years ago we trade for Edwin Jackson, sign Kelly Johnson, sign Upton to a long term deal and say they are going for it with the personel we have. Last year they jettison many of the vets and say they are rebuilding with youth. This year they again change course and sign a bunch of over the hill vets (Mora, Nady, etc) while aquiring other teams failed prospects (Miranda) while letting our guys that have excelled in the minors rot in AAA (Allen).

i hope Allen finally gets a shot in Oakland. In three years in AZ he got less ABs than Miranda did this year alone.

I’m happy that we are competive again, but at times we appear to be a rudder-less ship

by ScottAZ on Jul 31, 2011 9:34 PM EDT reply actions

Different GM.

Dunno why you’re surprised that Kevin Towers and Josh Byrnes have different philosophies.

HEY, FRENCHY! STAR TREK OR STAR WARS?

by DbacksSkins on Aug 2, 2011 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions

well then

towers certainly has done some puzzling moves as well. First he says he wants to get younger and give homegrown guys a chance to play. He trades away Reynolds, puts Upton (!) on the trading block, etc. Then he switches courses during Spring Training and signs failed castaways from other organizations instead of giving homegrown talents a chance (Miranda over Allen), and then signs a bunch of aging vets (Mora, Nady) in the name of contending.

You can’t say you’re rebuilding and then sign a bunch of over the hill guys and fail to give your young guys a chance.

I’m not arguing with our record, but when Allen hits 25-30 homers next year I will be upset

by ScottAZ on Aug 3, 2011 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

What does Allen provide for the A’s?

by Warriors Analyst on Aug 1, 2011 1:36 AM EDT reply actions

Power, that they don't have.

Also, insurance at DH in case one of Chris Carter fails, or at 1B if Daric Barton doesn’t return to last season’s form as he recovers from the arm injury he has. Or he’ll just be their LF after Willingham’s gone.

by NateHST on Aug 1, 2011 3:01 AM EDT up reply actions

B Allen

I’ve seen him extensively the past 3 years, here’s my take:

Strengths: Power, discipline, decent athleticism for a big man. Allen is 6’3" and around 235 pounds, a very large man and has the power that you’d expect from someone his size. In the minors he posts .290+ BA on a yearly basis though that has not yet manifested in the majors. He has solid plate discipline and he is also a rare lefty that hits southpaw pitching about the same as he does righties. Despite his massive frame, he is surprisingly athletic and can play a decent LF and steal a base for you here and there.

Weaknesses: Contact. The man wiffs at a very high rate. This isn’t due to lack of discipline, rather IMO he doesn’t have explosive bat speed and he can have heaters up blow him away. You can’t improve bat speed, so wiffs will always be part of the game for him.

Overall: I could see him being a MLB regular for 3-4 years, but probably a better shot at starting in the OF than 1B. If given 500 ABs I could see a 250/340/480 type line with 25+ homer and even 10+ steals

by ScottAZ on Aug 1, 2011 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs