Padres Agree To Terms With Jason Marquis

The Padres dipped into the free agent pool this morning and brought back a familiar face. The Padres agreed to terms with RHP Jason Marquis on a one-year, $3 million contract. The deal was first reported via Twitter by Jon Heyman.

Marquis received an identical contract last offseason, when he signed with the Minnesota Twins. Marquis was a disaster in Minnesota, posting an 8.47 ERA in seven starts with the Twins. The Twins released Marquis and he hooked on with the Padres on May 29th.

August 21, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Jason Marquis (38) throws during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Marquis was solid in San Diego, posting a 6-7 record, with a 4.04 ERA. In his brief time pitching at Petco National Park, Marquis turned in the best walk-to-strikeout ratio of his long career. Marquis will probably fill out the back end of the Padres rotation in 2013.

Most fans might scoff at the resigning of Marquis, but I believe it is a solid deal. Marquis will never win a Cy Young, but he is capable of eating innings. His strikeout rate last year was also encouraging, albeit in a very small sample size.

The Padres will likely be in the market for one starter, Padres GM Josh Byrnes has said that the Padres will likely pursue another starter in a trade.