Report: Red Sox have talked to Marlins about trio of relievers

The Boston Red Sox appear intent on shoring up their bullpen before the July 31 non-waiver deadline passes.

Boston has reportedly had contact with the Miami Marlins about three of their ace relievers, sources told Jon Morosi of MLB.com: left-hander Adam Conley and righties Drew Steckenrider and Kyle Barraclough.

It's unclear how far talks may have advanced, but Boston is likely to encounter intense competition in the race to add any member of that trio. On Sunday, Morosi reported that at least one other team - the Los Angeles Dodgers - had also discussed Conley, Steckenrider, and Barraclough with Miami.

All three pitchers come with lower salaries and several years of team control remaining. That could make each of them more appealing, but will likely also drive up the cost of acquiring them. In the case of the Red Sox, adding this kind of controllable depth - and specifically, a younger All-Star closer type in Barraclough - could prove beneficial if Craig Kimbrel leaves as a free agent.

Barraclough, who is now closing games for Don Mattingly's club, is likely the biggest fish of the three relievers. The 28-year-old has emerged as a dominant force for the Marlins with a 0.99 ERA and 0.743 WHIP to go along with 39 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings pitched. He was named National League Reliever of the Month for June after not allowing a run in 12 appearances.

Conley, 28, is in his first year as a full-time reliever and owns a 1.56 ERA and 0.808 WHIP, having given up one homer in 17 appearances. He's been particularly dominant against lefty hitters, who are slashing just .148/.194/.296 against him.

Steckenrider has a 3.28 ERA and is striking out over 10 batters per nine innings in 39 games.