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According to multiple reports from the D.C.-area, free agent starting pitcher Jason Marquis is on the verge of signing a two-year contract with the Nationals. The 31-year-old Marquis is coming off arguably the best season of his career. He made the All-Star team for the first time, set a career high in innings pitched and posted a 4.04 ERA. He also matched his career high with 15 wins. For Washington, signing Marquis gives them an established veteran to throw atop their rotation while the promising youngsters look to grow into bona fide major leaguers. With Stephen Strasburg, John Lannan and Jordan Zimmermann (who will, unfortunately, miss most or all of 2010 after having Tommy John surgery), the Nationals have a potentially dominant threesome. Marquis has, in the past week, told reporters he'd love the chance to work with a group of young hurlers. It appears he wasn't lying, should the reports of his contract signing Monday prove to be true.
Make no mistake about this move, though, Marquis is going to be atop the Nationals' rotation, for now, out of necessity. None of their young guys are ready to take on that kind of responsibility, but Marquis is best suited to be viewed as a low-end rotation-type. Getting a 4.04 ERA and 1.38 WHIP -- which were his 2009 numbers -- is about the best you can hope for from the innings-eater. His value lies in being able to take pressure off the bullpen, as he's pretty much always around 200 innings pitched. He's also well-suited to help on a National League team due to his abilities to fill in as a hitter and baserunner when needed.
While not an Earth-shattering move by any stretch, this is a good fit for the still-developing Nationals.
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