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Marlins reach reported agreement with Brad Ziegler as bullpen takes shape

The Miami Marlins struck out on adding an elite closer to the their bullpen this offseason, but have reportedly struck a deal with an appealing consolation prize in veteran Brad Ziegler.

According to Ken Rosenthal FOX Sports, Miami reached a two-year, $16M deal with the 37-year-old side-armer on Friday. The agreement reportedly includes performance incentives, but won’t be finalized until the veteran takes a physical.

The Marlins have now added two key relievers in a span of 24 hours. On Thursday, they signed right-hander Junichi Tazawa to a two-year, $12 million contract. Both Ziegler and Tazawa finished the 2016 season with the Boston Red Sox, who have also lost Koji Uehara in free agency.

The Marlins pursuit of bullpen help has been no secret this offseason. They made aggressive offers to both Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, with reports indicating they actually offered Jansen more than the Dodgers. Jansen ended up opting for comfort and familiarity, while Chapman received a record contract for a reliever from the Yankees.

To the Marlins credit, they’ve rebounded from those perceived setbacks impressively and could actually end up with a deeper bullpen as a result. Investing what was required to sign either Jansen or Chapman would have taken a significant chunk of their payroll. Now they’ve been able to spread that money around and pay two respected relievers who can fill their needs.

Brad Ziegler is headed to the Marlins. (Getty Images)
Brad Ziegler is headed to the Marlins. (Getty Images)

With that in mind, the Marlins still probably lack an ideal closer on the roster. Ziegler has enjoyed success in that role, recording 85 saves across nine big-league seasons. That includes a career-high 30 for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015. But his delivery tends to be more effective against right-handed hitters, which would ideally position him as a specialist.

Given the Marlins options right now, Ziegler figures to be the leader for save chances regardless of the matchups. Tazawa, A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough and David Phelps could mix in as well. If they have enough flexibility to add a power arm though, their bullpen could set up quite well without the splashy signing or loss of draft pick compensation.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!