The Phillies have talked to the Marlins about closer Leo Nunez, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The Marlins seek young pitching in return, Crasnick adds.
Nunez fits with the Phillies' goal of acquiring players they can control beyond this year, though his salary will get a healthy bump from this year's $3.65MM. Over at CloserNews, we're speculating on Mike Dunn for saves in Florida if Nunez is dealt.
Crasnick tweets that the Marlins are not ready to pull the plug yet, even if the team's recent strong play still doesn't make them a mathematical contender. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro believes the Marlins will stay the course, and maybe even consider adding a third baseman or pitcher. Keep in mind that even if the Marlins don't want to pay Nunez $6-7MM next year, they can always trade him in August or the offseason.
