The Padres and right-hander Germán Márquez are in agreement on a one-year deal, according to Alden González of ESPN. The precise guarantee is not yet known, although there is a mutual option for 2027, per Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The team has a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to open space for the L.A. Sports Management client.
The team was known to be looking for low-cost rotation pieces and a complementary bat, per comments from president of baseball operations A.J. Preller a few days ago. They achieved the latter by bringing in Nick Castellanos on a one-year deal upon his release from the Phillies. Now, they’ve addressed the rotation side through one-year-deals for Márquez and fellow right-hander Griffin Canning. Canning is coming off an Achilles injury and projects as a back-end starter once he is healthy enough to return. Márquez figures to serve as back-of-the-rotation depth as well.
The 30-year-old (31 later this month) is coming off a ten-year major-league run with the Rockies. After a brief debut in 2016, he settled in as one of the team’s most reliable starters from 2017-21. In that span, he totaled 793 2/3 innings over 135 starts and posted a 4.25 ERA, a 24.0% strikeout rate, and a 6.9% walk rate. Márquez excelled through a combination of control and strong groundball tendencies. He was worth 15.5 fWAR in those five years and continually posted groundball rates in the mid-40s and low-50s, including a career-high 51.6% in 180 innings in 2021.
His performance began to wane from 2022 onward. He still made 31 starts in 2022, but his strikeout rate fell below 20% for the first time since his 20 2/3-inning sample in 2016. His run prevention slipped as well, with Márquez posting a below-average 4.95 ERA and elevated peripheral stats. He then underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, costing him the rest of that year and the first few months of 2024. His return in July 2024 only lasted one start, and he spent the rest of the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation, although his UCL was reportedly fine.
In 2025, Márquez pitched 126 1/3 innings over 26 starts but was clearly working with diminished stuff. His four-seamer was down to 94.8 MPH after averaging 95.6 MPH in his most recent healthy season in 2022. His sinker, which used over 20% of the time, also slipped from 95.1 MPH to 94.3 MPH. Statcast graded his fastballs in just the first percentile by run value, while his knuckle curve, formerly his best pitch, also earned career-worst grades. The strikeouts dried up even further, with Márquez’s 14.0% strikeout rate ranking third-worst among starters with at least 100 innings. The Rockies decided to move on as Márquez reached free agency.
More to come.
Padres making good common sense moves today
Padres are bargain hunting today.
The former Rockie used to give the Padres a lot of problems. Good signing.
Yes he did.
Preller got the checkbook for Valentine’s Day
More arms…I like it!
Smart move.
San Diego picking up all the leftover scraps today….
Dumpster diving in full swing.
Do I need to say it? Minor league deal hopefully.
Peller woke up today went down the Sping Training Camp. looked around. Said to himself I need to do more to keep with the Doyers.
Called Management. I need some cash
Signed some players. Banged his wife and went back to bed.
Stalker alert!🚨
What a weird comment
But oddly accurate
Still not enough to beat the Dodgers, Madre Fans !!!
Pads were the better team just 2 years ago, so they’re not that far off. The fact that you’re even commenting confirms you guys are nervous…….
I think that was 4 years ago. Time flies….
Right., German Marquez with a 3-16 win loss record, a negative WAR,, a 7+era and averaging less that 5 innings a start has got the Dodgers nervous.. But then the Padres were the better team 2 years ago. You can tell because the Dodgers won the division, the league and then the World Series that year. Clearly the Padres had the better team that year.
As a life long Dodgers fan let me assure you, the Padres are a fine team that we respect. But they don’t make us even a littel nervous.
German was beaten down with injuries and Coors Field.. Hope he is able to get back to being a mid-rotation level 3-4 starter in his age 31 season. GREAT signing gamble. If he is toast… nothing much lost.
It’s going to make me very sad seeing him in a San Diego uniform facing the Rockies, but I am glad he gets to stay in the big leagues even if it is with a rival. Good luck German.
Padres doing alot of last minute shopping
Love it. Bud black probably had a part in bringing him in
If he even slightly resurrects his career in SD it will be further proof, to me anyway, that Colorado should not be the stage for an MLB franchise. Full many a flower, etc.
All the best to him I hope he has a great season
Márquez was one of the only pitchers to have a relatively long run of success in Colorado. Don’t think I’d use him as a data point for Colorado not having a team.
& he only fell apart after having TJ.
That’s true, I should’ve specified that it’s just my opinion that if he played for even a marginal contender at a more reasonable altitude he would’ve put up far more impressive numbers. Idk I’m not trying to vilify a city or fanbase, but if you have to take measures, i.e. the humidor, to keep balls from flying to the moon it may not be the best environment for the highest level of the sport. Not saying Denver shouldn’t have baseball, I went to some Bears and later Zephyrs games at Mile High when I’d visit family years ago and it was always fun.
Huh? He was very good in Colorado.
Preller must’ve re-upped last night