TODAY: The Rockies announced that Marquez has been activated from IL. The right hand Angel Chivilli optioned to Double-A to make room for Marquez on the active roster.
July 13: The Rockies are set to make the right-hander work Marquez from Germany on the 60-day injured list tomorrow, manager Bud Black told reporters (including Mike Fitzpatrick of The Denver Post) last night. Colorado's 40-man roster currently stands at 39, meaning the club would only need to make a corresponding move to unlock Marquez without having to add another player to the 40-man roster before opening it.
Marquez, 29, made just four starts in the 2023 season before requiring Tommy John surgery in early May of last year. At the time, the former All Star was a pending free agent, but the sides reached a two-year, $20MM extension last September that allowed Marquez to complete his rehab in the regular league and re-establish his value before free agency. agency, now coming after the 2025 season.
For the Rockies, the move allowed them to keep a player who has shown a rare ability to play well while calling Coors Field home. From 2018 to 2021, Marquez posted a 4.22 ERA that was 17% better than average ERA+ and a strong 3.70 FIP across 106 starts for the Rockies. That's the version of Marquez the club hopes to add to their rotation tomorrow, though it's worth noting that the righty's 2022 season has shown cause for concern as he's posted an impressive 6.70 ERA in 16 starts at Coors despite the best of -3.34 ERA in 15 starts on the road.
Marquez is expected to take the ball tomorrow against the Mets in New York, and is expected to throw between 75 and 90 pitches when he returns to the bullpen. The Rockies, who have a dismal 33-62 record this season, will not be in the postseason picture in 2024 no matter how well the right-hander performs in his return to action. With that being said, it's at least possible that a strong start from the righties over the next few weeks could influence the club's thinking before the trade deadline on July 30. If Marquez can return to the club's rotation looking healthy and productive, it would add a quality starter to the rotation that would make the club more comfortable dealing with pieces in its rotation.
Earlier this summer, the Rockies were reportedly listening to offers for the right-hander Cal Quantrill and on the left Austin Gomber while also gaining interest in the righty Ryan Feltner. Quantrill had solid results in his first season with Colorado, posting a 4.13 ERA (110 ERA+) in 19 starts despite a lackluster 4.77 FIP thanks in part to a career-best 46.4% ground ball rate. Gomber, on the other hand, posted a league-average 4.61 ERA (99 ERA+) after adjusting for park factors. Feltner has been the least impressive of the three in terms of on-field results with a lackluster 5.02 ERA, though more advanced metrics like SIERA (4.13) and xERA (4.04) look pretty good thanks to his slim 6.5% walk average and ability to limit contact. hard.
Dealing with any of those controllable players would be difficult in a rotation that already has the league's worst ERA, but if Marquez can prove himself capable of returning to the top of the club's rotation that would go a long way in helping to round out the right-hander's rotation. Dakota Hudson earlier this month.
Source link
