At approximately 3:35 PM (pacific standard time of course), I was notified that German Marquez and the Rockies were in agreement on a five year contract extension worth a total of $43 million. This comes in a time when extensions are being handed out like Halloween candy, and the Rockies now have locked up their second big piece for the year, with Nolan Arenado
being extended during spring training.
Unless I woke up in some weird alternate reality, yes, Márquez is still right handed. This deal would cover the final 3 arbitration years of his rookie contract as well as two free agent years. Coming off a breakout 2018 season that saw Márquez break the Rockies’ single season record in strikeouts with 230 at a rate of 10.6 per 9 innings, the Rockies rewarded their young phenom with an early payday, while also delaying his impending free agency by two years. His 2018 also consisted of an electric second half where he posted a 2.66 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, and 12 K/9 in 14 games started.
With an arsenal consisting of a fastball that routinely touches 98 MPH, a devastating slider, a wicked curveball, and a plus changeup, Márquez has the kind of stuff that would play in any park. His ability to attack hitters and generate swings and misses are two of the reasons why he was so effective in the second half last year, and he still has plenty of room to grow.
Márquez is one of the centerpieces of a (finally) potentially lethal Rockies starting rotation. Heading the rotation with hometown kid Kyle Freeland , followed by former first round picks Tyler Anderson (#20) and Jon Gray (#3), this rotation has a real chance to supplement the offense in a way that Coors has never seen. After saving costs on what Márquez certainly could have earned, I can only imagine that an extension for Kyle Freeland will be in the works very soon. The Rockies have opened their competitive window for their first World Series, and they’re going to have one of their brightest stars around for it.
