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New Closer could come from within

Given this year's market the Marlins are considering making one of the young starters the closer.

Pitching coach Rick Kranitz endorsed the idea of converting a starter to a late-inning reliever, the way the Red Sox did with Jonathan Papelbon and the Cardinals with Adam Wainwright last season. The most likely candidate is Ricky Nolasco, who has a good fastball and unlike his counterparts is more of a max-effort, two-pitch guy.

Interesting to say the least.  Beinfest added this:

Beinfest said Marlins pitchers and catchers could report for spring training in two months with an unresolved closer situation.

"It's a very real possibility, and we may have some internal options that at the end of the day we may say, `These are really good arms, let's give them a chance' given what our other opportunities were and what it may cost us," Beinfest said. "We're working on a bunch of different ideas."

Breaking up the starting five would, of course, come with a cost but it is possible that it could pay dividends.  Nolasco was decent out of the pen last season and so it is conceivable he could work out in that role.  If the Marlins don't make any moves to acquire a closer, the team will just have to go to spring training and see who pans out.  Be it Gregg, Tankersley, Owens, Lindstrom, Nolasco or someone else.  The Marlins have enough live arms that they should be able to find someone with a closer's mentality who also possess the stuff to get it done.  It is not the dream situation but it may work out.