Marshall close to extension

LHP  Sean Marshall has yet to throw a pitch for the Reds this season, but he’s close to getting a long term contract extension.

“We are talking to him,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said on Sunday. “It could be done soon. When we traded for him, it was also looking to sign him for the long term.”

Marshall, 29, is set to earn $3.1 million in the final year of the current contract he had signed with the Cubs and could become a free agent after the season. Chicago traded him to the Reds in December for pitcher Travis Wood, outfielder Dave Sappelt and Minor League infielder Ronald Torreyes.

Last season, Marshall was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA in 78 games, with 17 walks and 79 strikeouts over 75 2/3 innings. He has a 2.45 ERA in 158 appearances over the past two seasons.

FoxSports.com first reported that a deal with Marshall and the Reds is close.