Waiver Spotlight: Leo Nunez

If you’re in need of saves, Florida reliever Leo Nunez makes a smart pickup right about now, as it’s very possible he could take over for the struggling Matt Lindstrom as the Marlins’ closer. In fact, last night Nunez was brought in to preserve the win after Lindstrom loaded the bases in the ninth. Nunez ultimately struck out Edgar Renteria to end the game and notch his second save of the season.

Supposedly, Lindstrom will remain the closer for now, but we’ve heard that before. The bottom line is the Marlins simply cannot continue to bring a guy with a 6.17 ERA and 1.84 WHIP into close games.

Lindstrom is not a bad pitcher. The 29-year-old throws 98 MPH. He posted good ERAs in 2007 and 2008 (3.09 and 3.14, respectively); however, his WHIP in those seasons (1.45 and 1.30) suggest that his ERA was a bit misleading. His poor control—he’s averaged four walks per nine innings over his career and owns a dreadful 7.3 BB/9 this season—makes him a less-than-ideal choice for ninth-inning duties.

The 26-year-old Nunez is a better option. He’s walked just 2.9 batters per nine innings over his major-league career (2.2 in the minors). And he’s been very effective over the last few years. In 2007 he posted a 3.92 ERA and 1.24 WHIP for Kansas City. Last year, he dropped his ERA to 2.98 while keeping his WHIP steady at 1.24. And this year, he has improved his WHIP (1.08) while maintaining a solid 3.21 ERA. He’s also providing a respectable 8 K/9 this season.

As this article indicates, there’s a groundswell of support for Nunez among Marlins fans. Grab him today (while he's still owned in less than three percent of ESPN leagues), and you might have yourself a closer tomorrow, if Lindstrom has another poor outing.