Cubs manager Dale Sveum said there will be a discussion about other closer options after Carlos Marmol blew his first save of the season on Saturday. It wasn't just Saturday's blown save against the Braves that caused Sveum to make those comments. Marmol has allowed runs in all three of his appearances this season. Sveum indicated the team might look to Shawn Camp or James Russell in save situations in the future. Kyuji Fujikawa has struggled too much to be given a shot.

Carlos Marmol blew his first save of the season on Saturday, allowing a walkoff home run to Justin Upton. Marmol nearly blew a save Thursday when he yielded two earned runs in the ninth inning against the Pirates. He looks lost at the moment, but so does next-in-line setup man Kyuji Fujikawa. The Cubs may have to get creative in order to solve their ongoing ninth-inning woes.

Carlos Marmol yielded two earned runs in the ninth inning Thursday against the Pirates but got the save. Marmol was disastrous, yielding three singles and a walk before striking out Pedro Alvarez and getting Neil Walker to ground into a game-ending double play. The wild right-hander also struggled in his first outing of the season on Monday. Kyuji Fujikawa should be the Cubs' ninth-inning man before long.

Cubs manager Dale Sveum said Monday that he is sticking with Carlos Marmol as his closer. Marmol was pulled from a save opportunity Monday against the Pirates after he allowed three out of the four batters he faced to reach base, but Sveum isn't ready to give up on him after one appearance. "He's still the closer," said Sveum. "I'm not making any changes or anything like that, he just didn't have it today." We expect that the Cubs will give him an opportunity to straighten things out, as they could eventually find a taker in the trade market, but it's likely only a matter of time before Kyuji Fujikawa (who notched the one-out save Monday) gets the job.

Carlos Marmol was pulled from his first save opportunity of the season Monday after allowing three out of the four batters he faced to reach base. Never change, Carlos. After striking out Garret Jones swinging, Marmol hit Andrew McCutchen with a pitch. McCutchen then stole second base and was brought home on an RBI single by Pedro Alvarez. Cubs manager Dale Sveum finally brought the hook after Marmol walked Gaby Sanchez. James Russell was able to get Neil Walker to fly out while Kyuji Fujikawa finished off the Pirates by getting Russell Martin on a routine fly ball. The Cubs were hoping that Marmol could get off to a hot start so that they could trade him, but he's not cooperating with the plan. It might not happen right away, but Fujikawa should have the closer job before long.

Carlos Marmol surrendered three runs in two-thirds of an inning and took a loss Saturday against the Astros. Marmol ended up allowing 13 runs -- eight earned -- in 10 1/3 innings this spring. He walked nine and struck out five. The Cubs would certainly prefer to keep Marmol in the closer's role and let him build up a little trade value early in the year. However, if he keeps struggling, they'll have no choice but to go to Kyuji Fujikawa. We view Fujikawa as the superior fantasy option.

Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago reports that the Tigers are not, and never were, interested in acquiring right-hander Carlos Marmol from the Cubs. Levine had originally reported two weeks earlier that the Tigers were taking a "hard look" at acquiring the Cubs' closer. But it doesn't sound like it's going to happen. Detroit's ninth-inning role is still up for grabs.

The Cubs have told Carlos Marmol's agent to expect a trade this season. This isn't breaking news, as the Cubs have already agreed to trade Marmol once this offseason. However, the expectation is that he won't be dealt before Opening Day. Marmol, who has limited no-trade rights, is making $9.8 million in the final year of his contract.

Carlos Marmol indicated Friday that he isn't paying any attention to the recent trade rumors swirling around him. Marmol added that he "doesn't believe anything", and that his sole focus in camp is to keep working to prepare for the season. Given the fact that they've already agreed to trade him once this offseason, it seems like there's a legitimate chance that he is indeed moved before the season begins. It's a messy situation for fantasy owners, as those speculating for saves will have to monitor both Marmol and Kyuji Fujikawa closely heading into draft day.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer reports that there is "nothing to" reports of trade interest in Carlos Marmol, "especially with Detroit." It backs up Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune's report. Wittenmyer adds that the Cubs "don't expect to move Marmol until after the season starts, probably at the trade deadline." The Tigers are looking at trade possibilities to fill their ninth inning void, but it appears Marmol is not on their radar.