Brad Ziegler says goodbye to Marlins fans

The Marlins set Brad Ziegler free on Tuesday. They needed a controllable arm—Ziegler is in the final year of his contract—while the Diamondbacks needed reinforcements for the bullpen, and boom, the trade was complete.

The veteran sidearmer ends up receiving about $13 million from the Fish (the other $3 million guaranteed by the contract is the responsibility of his new team). Ziegler had a few incredible hot streaks, including this current run that stretches back to June, but overall, his performance slightly disappointed. A 4.36 ERA/4.18 FIP/3.94 xFIP in 106 relief appearances isn’t much different from what would have been expected from a typical Triple-A call-up.

Now in Arizona, Ziegler took to Twitter on Thursday morning to express his feelings about the past two seasons:

“I am very grateful for my time in Miami. I met some wonderful people that will remain my friends for life. I am grateful for all your support, even through the times when things weren’t going that great for me on the mound. Your positivity & encouragement were a huge help. I wish the last 2 seasons would’ve turned out differently, both in my results on the mound & in team wins. I wish we could’ve given the city the playoff games it deserves to see. I truly believe with the front office, coaches, & players that still remain, the organization is in great hands going forward, & you will experience that success in the very near future. Thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart. — ”

The Marlins and Dbacks don’t play each other again this summer. Hopefully, Ziegler continues his career into 2019 so that Fish fans can thank him in person for his professionalism.