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According FanRag Sport’s Jon Heyman, the Marlins have talked to free agent relief pitcher Brad Ziegler.
Brad ziegler was among the relievers marlins talked to. It's a good time to target pen. Lotta good ones out there on market
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 6, 2016
The Marlins are also looking at big-name closers Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman, but locking one of those guys up would not leave Ziegler out of the equation.
Ziegler has been a closer for a good chunk of his career, mostly with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and finished games for Arizona in 2016 before being traded to the Red Sox in July.
In 68 overall innings last season, Ziegler pitched to a 2.25 ERA and a 1.247 WHIP. He also averaged 7.68 strikeouts per nine innings, which was a career-best. Although the strikeouts went up, Ziegler’s walks also went up to 3.44 per nine, which was his highest since 2010.
It’s important to know that Ziegler’s numbers in Boston last season were much better than those in Arizona. In 29 2⁄3 innings with the Red Sox in the middle of a pennant race, Ziegler struck out 31 batters and allowed only five earned runs. The 37-year-old right-hander showed that he could be very effective in a playoff race, which could be important for a Marlins team that is looking to get to the playoffs in 2017.
If you’re not on board with Brad Ziegler yet, here’s a video of him on the mound. How can you not love that arm angle?