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The Arizona Diamondbacks have made some big-time power moves this offseason in hopes of competing in the postseason in 2016. As run prevention became an issue last season, Arizona sacrificed some offense for some pitching in hopes of having a more balanced roster.
After all the moves the Diamondbacks made, their season could come down to the performance of closer Brad Ziegler.
Ziegler is coming off the best season of his career in 2015, posting a 1.85 ERA while saving 30 games in 32 opportunities. Now that the Diamondbacks have made significant upgrades to their starting rotation with the acquisitions of Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, Ziegler may get even more save opportunities in 2016. Arizona will need him to be equally effective in 2016 if the Diamondbacks are to become contenders in the NL West.
With a strong starting rotation, the Diamondbacks can expect to surrender fewer runs during the early part of games. With a lineup filled with accomplished hitters like Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and David Peralta, Arizona figures to score a healthy number of runs over the course of nine innings. This could give the Diamondbacks a lot of late-inning leads to protect, which is where Ziegler enters the equation. With the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants likely making the NL West a three-team race, the Diamondbacks can’t afford to let any would-be wins slip through their fingers.
The Arizona bullpen, outside of Ziegler, remains the team’s biggest weakness. There may not be much the Diamondbacks can do about their questionable middle relief at this point, which is why Ziegler having a strong follow-up to 2015 will be tantamount to the team’s lofty goals.
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