The Miami Marlins today announced that the Club has signed right-handed relieverBrad Ziegler to a two-year contract through the 2018 season. To make room on the 40-man roster, LHP Elvis Araujo was designated for assignment. The announcement was made by Marlins' President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill.
Ziegler, 37, is the only active reliever in Major League Baseball to have appeared in at least 60 games in each of the last eight seasons. His 604 appearances since his MLB debut in 2008 lead active relievers, while his 2.44 career ERA ranks eighth. He is entering his 10th season in the Majors; he spent the majority of the past six seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being traded last season to the Boston Red Sox on July 9. He combined to go 4-7, 2.25 (68.0 ip/17 er) in 2016 with 22 saves in 28 opportunities, and from May 29, 2015-June 20, 2016 set an Arizona club-record with 43 consecutive saves, the seventh longest such streak in Major League history.
A native of the Pratt, Kansas, Ziegler was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of Southwest Missouri State University. He was signed by the Oakland Athletics on June 18, 2004 as a Minor League free agent, and made his MLB debut with the A's on May 31, 2008 at Texas. Following four years with Oakland, Ziegler was then traded to Arizona on July 31, 2011, where he would go to become the Franchise leader in appearances (348) and ERA (2.49; min. 100 games).