Right-hander Carlos Marmol, a one-time All-Star reliever who hasn’t pitched regularly in the majors since 2013, has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Red Sox that includes an invitation to spring training.
Marmol last pitched in the big leagues for the Marlins in 2014, posting an 8.10 ERA in 13 innings. He spent last season at Triple-A for the Indians, logging 31 innings with a 2.03 ERA and 48/27 K/BB ratio as Columbus’ closer.
Marmol has always been able to miss bats and rack up strikeouts--at his peak he was one of the hardest-to-hit pitchers of all time--but his control deteriorated to the point that he couldn’t be trusted. He’s walked 6.2 batters per nine innings for his career, which is remarkable considering he’s allowed just 6.0 hits per nine innings.
Given that he walked 27 batters in 31 innings at Triple-A last season Marmol is a long shot to make an impact for the Red Sox, but taking a flier on the 33-year-old carries no real risk.