D-backs' bullpen improved with Ziegler

July, 31, 2011

7/31/11

3:54

PM ET

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired right-handed reliever Brad Ziegler from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for left-handed reliever Jordan Norberto and first baseman Brandon Allen.

Ziegler, 31, was 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 43 appearances for the A’s this year. He is one of the rare sidearmers in baseball, and right-handed hitters are batting just .198 against him as compared to .396 against left-handed hitters. He will fit in nicely as a situational righty for D-backs manager Kirk Gibson.

The Athletics acquire a big arm in Norberto. Norberto, 24, throws 94-95 mph with a solid-to-average breaking ball. He has above-average stuff, and now it’s a question of whether he can command it. Over the past two months, his command has improved, and the A’s feel he is heading in the right direction. He’s also a 0-3 service-time player with options, giving the A’s payroll and roster flexibility as they wait for the production to catch up with the electric stuff.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ESPN The Magazine subscribers

Activate your Insider account »
Need more information?

View Insider Benefits »

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.