The Arizona Diamondbacks have beefed up their bullpen to make a playoff push in the stacked National League West. The D-backs sent Tommy Eveld to the Miami Marlins for 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
Ziegler, the 38-year-old sidearming righty, rejoins the Diamondbacks after being sent to the Red Sox in July of 2016. He has been one of the hottest relievers on the market of late, following an outstanding June with a lights-out July. He made 15 appearances allowing just one earned run (0.68 ERA) and posted a 0.90 WHIP in his last month as a Marlin.
What was Miami’s return in the deal?
Tommy Eveld
Eveld is a fun story. He redshirted at South Florida his first three seasons. Except those three seasons were on the football field. After tearing knee ligaments in 2014, he walked on to the baseball team for the 2015 season. He improved greatly from his walk-on to 2016 season, closing out his Bulls career with nine saves and 67 strikeouts in his final 53 innings pitched.
The Diamondbacks to Eveld in the ninth-round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Just two seasons later, he was in Jackson of Double-A, where he had allowed just one hit and no runs in his first 4.1 innings. Now, he heads to a rebuilding Marlins franchise where his exciting arm should have an opportunity to climb the ladder quickly.
Baseball America has long been the highest on Eveld, boasting that he may have the best stuff in the entire Diamondbacks system. He has a mid-90s fastball which several reports have touching the upper-90s. His slider is his next best offering, with several reports indicating he has a curveball and change as well that he works into the mix. Having never seen Eveld live, if these reports are true, a four-pitch reliever is an exiting weapon to have. The Marlins appear to have gotten a very nice piece who’s upside is still climbing as he approaches his 25th birthday.
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