Even though he’s never thrown a pitch in an official capacity for the Cincinnati Reds, the team still liked reliever Sean Marshall enough to sign him to a 3 year extension worth $16.5 million.

This contract extension, which adds three years to Marshall’s current contract and will have him with the team through 2015, had been rumored since he was traded from the Chicago Cubs. And just earlier this week, it reappeared, almost as a done deal. Clearly, the team wanted him for more than the one year he was contractually obligated for.

“No. 1, he’s a quality person and he’s going to add a lot to our franchise and organization for these three years — actually we have him for four years now,” Jocketty said. “You look at the quality of his work. He’s one of the top setup guys in the game. We’ll have flexibility with him in the future if we want to use him as a closer. That will be determined as we go along.”

Yes, with Ryan Madsen on a one-year deal, the Reds could be in need of a closer next year. And Marshall has the skills to slip right into that role.

Given how good Marshall is, I don’t feel that the contract is too steep. I hope it leads to some wins, increased attendance, and a higher payroll.