Despite the trade deadline still being three weeks off, Boston Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski has already gotten busy in moving prospects for MLB contributors, as the Red Sox enter the 'win-now' mode. No longer are the Red Sox playing for the future at the deadline. Dombrowski made his third move in two days on Friday night, shipping two prospects from Low-A Greenville to the Arizona Diamondbacks, receiving closer Brad Ziegler in exchange. Pitching prospect Jose Almonte and infield prospect Luis Alejandro Basabe saw their time in the Red Sox organization come to a close as they pack their bags and head for their new organization in the D-Backs.
Who they got: Brad Ziegler
Ziegler was an excellent pick-up for the Red Sox and their battered bullpen. Ziegler has experience as both a closer and set-up man, and he will likely slide into the latter role in Boston. With Craig Kimbrel holding down the closer role, Ziegler will replace setup man Koji Uehara in all likelihood, while providing a second option to close games when Kimbrel, currently day-to-day with a knee injury.
Uehara had been subpar this year for the Sox, accumulating a 4.96 ERA this season in the eighth inning role for Boston. Ziegler, boasting a 2.82 mark, is a marked improvement for Boston's struggling staff. With a career 2.49 ERA in the American League, and coming off one of the best seasons in his career (1.85 ERA), Ziegler makes for an elite setup man. As a submariner sinkerballer, Ziegler very rarely gives up the long ball, having surrendered just one dinger this season.
This number compares to the eight homers allowed by Uehara. He doesn't strike out many hitters - just 63 Ks in the past 106 1/3 innings. However, he induces a plethora of double-play ground balls, allowing him to escape jams with seemingly relative ease.
Hitters have hit just .170 against Ziegler with runners in scoring position. His changeup was ranked as the toughest pitch in baseball to lay off when it was not in the strike zone last year. His 86mph sinker from his submarine slot is devastating, and he combines it with a filthy slider and the wipeout change.
His diverse pitch arsenal will be useful in Boston's pen. Kimbrel is largely a two-pitch pitcher and Uehara relies solely on his splitter, with the velocity of his fastball failing. Bringing a pitcher with multiple offspeed offerings to the table should help the Red Sox greatly.
Who they gave up: Jose Almonte
The majority of Red Sox fans were very happy with the price that they managed to acquire Ziegler for. They lost two solid prospects from Greenville, but their highest-regarded prospects still remain with the Boston organization. Almonte, a right-handed hurler, has been with the Red Sox farm system for four years, but he now makes his departure. He started out with promising numbers, a 2.50 ERA in rookie ball in 2013, but that mark has consistently grown, up to a career worst 3.91 during his 2016 campaign. Almonte, just 20 years old, could still become a very good pitcher, but it wasn't a bad move by Dombrowski to move him, especially considering the return they netted.
Luis Alejandro Basabe
Basabe has been the opposite of Almonte - his numbers growing stronger as his career wanes on. After a dismal .192 average in his professional debut in 2013, Almonte has steadily improved, to the tune of a .310 average this year, along with a career-high 14 stolen bases, bringing his career total to 40 for the young speedster. Basabe, like Almonte, could become a valuable contributor in the big leagues someday, but his future with Boston as a middle infielder was quite limited. He will continue his career with the Arizona organization.
Overall, this will hopefully be considered a very good trade for the Red Sox. It will depend on the performance of Ziegler, but the sinkerball hurler should be comfortable in Fenway Park, where the Red Sox hope he will help deliver them to the postseason once more, after a painful two-year hiatus.