Marquis May Prefer Nationals

Last week we learned that the Phillies, Mets, Nationals and Mariners were all expressing interest in Jason Marquis and that he is unlikely to re-sign with the Rockies.

MLB.com's Bill Ladson spoke with Marquis, who seemed very interested in pitching for the Nationals. Marquis indicated that he likes serving as a mentor for younger pitchers and wants to be part of a team that "making the moves that is necessary to get themselves back to being a winning organization." He pointed to several moves the Nationals have made that suggest they are that team.

Marquis, 31, made $9.9MM with the Rockies in '09 and his WAR value was $17.1MM. He was 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA, 4.8 K/9, and 3.3 BB/9 in 216 innings for the Rockies this year. His ERA+ the last three seasons have been 113, 102 and 100.