Boston Red Sox: Enter the Ziegler

The Red Sox Make Three Trades in 36 Hours; Acquire Closer Brad Ziegler.

What does a team do when their Kraken is found to be wounded just as the second-half climb towards a pennant is about to begin? If you’re the Boston Red Sox and GM Dave Dombrowski, you put on your trading cap and bring in another reliable, though perhaps less fierce, Kraken.

After learning of current closer Craig Kimbrel‘s–he of ”Release the Kimbrel”–knee discomfort, the wheels were put in motion to fortify the bullpen. “Trader Dave”–not to be confused with former manager and trade artist “Trader” Jack McKeon–went out and acquired closer Brad Ziegler from the Arizona Diamondbacks for the relatively low price of minor-league players Jose Almonte and Lyis Alejandro Basabe.

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Ziegler is 2-3 with an ERA of 2.82 on the season, converting 18 of 20 save opportunities.

The move couldn’t have come at a better time for the Red Sox. They learned early Saturday morning that Kimbrel will miss the next 3-6 weeks after he undergoes surgery on Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Enter Ziegler. Though his 81 career saves are nowhere near the totals of Kimbrel (242 career saves), Ziegler has been nothing short of reliable during his nine-year career. He really only became a full-time closer last season with the Diamondbacks, collecting 30 saves in the process.

An overtaxed bullpen of the Red Sox, thanks to a starting pitching staff that continues to struggle, will no doubt be very welcoming of a new reliever to the fold. The acquisition of Ziegler, though, many not have the immediate effect desired, as reliever Junichi Tazawa is also battling shoulder issues.

It is assumed Ziegler will step into the closer’s role for the time being. The question remains is will he be able to handle the pressure of pitching in Boston. He hasn’t had to live up to much with his previous stops in Arizona and Oakland, but being 36-years old he will carry a maturity with him that a younger player might not have when being thrust into a pressure-packed environment.

If everything falls into place correctly, one can imagine a dominant bullpen just as the calendar is turning to August. One can dream of a bullpen for the Red Sox that the Kansas City Royals dominated with last season.

Aug 22, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara (19) comes in to pitch during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Imagine it: Innings 6-9 with a staff of Tazawa, Koji Uehara, Ziegler and Kimbrel shutting the door on opposing teams. Then John Farrell can say “Hey, starting pitchers, give me five solid innings and we’ll take care of the rest. Plus, if you’re good, I’ll give you a lollipop.”

Kimbrel, despite his propensity to give up the occasional long ball, will certainly be missed. For the most part, Kimbrel has provided stability in what has been an up-and-down year for the bullpen, though even part of that has been due to the starting pitchers and their love of giving up a lot of runs.

Ziegler should be able to slip right into a bullpen role and help provide a nice stop gap until the Kraken returns to his rightful place in the ninth inning.

Next: Martellus Bennett's Letter is Mandatory Reading

For now? It’s Ziegler’s time to shine and prove there can be more than one Kraken in town, even if it’s in the form of a closer.

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