Report: Brewers Interested In Carlos Marmol

Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago-Sun Times, the Milwaukee Brewers are interested in reliever Carlos Marmol. The former Chicago Cubs closer has reportedly garnered attention from three to four teams. Wittenmyer also mentions the Boston Red Sox as an interested party.

The once-dominant Marmol was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 2 last season after under-performing (he was blasted for a 5.86 ERA) with the Cubs. He managed to turn things around with Dodgers, accumulating a 2.53 ERA in 21.1 innings, but most of those innings came in low-pressure situations.

The Brewers are in the market for a reliever with closing experience and Marmol fits the bill, though his success as a closer was scarce. He struggled with his command and was often compared to embattled Brewers closer John Axford.

In 2013, Marmol made $9.8 million and, while he will surely take a pay cut, he may still be too expensive for Milwaukee. His turnaround in Los Angeles bumped up his worth a bit.

The Brewers have tried to revive the careers of former closers in the past and it just hasn’t worked out. Trevor Hoffman was a masterpiece in 2009 with Milwaukee but a train-wreck in 2010, and Eric Gagne was a complete disaster. History says Marmol will be no different.