Jason Marquis Agrees to Terms with the Cubs on a Reported 3-year Deal
Updated - 10:43am C.T./10:52am C.T. - with More Info on Marquis' Contract
Updated 11:32am C.T. - with a Look at Marquis' Numbers
Updated - 10:20pm C.T. with Info on Marquis' Contract, Carlos Zambrano and Cliff Floyd
According to several reports including the Chicago Tribune, Cubs.com and ESPN.com, the Cubs have agreed to a 3-year deal with free agent pitcher Jason Marquis. The amount of the contract has varied from source to source but the deal is believed to be worth between $20 and $28 million.
Marquis was 14-16 with a 6.02 ERA in 2006 but was 15-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 2004. He has a career record of 56-52 with a 4.55 ERA.
Update - Information is still coming in and ESPN 1000 in Chicago just reported during an update that the deal is believed to be worth $20 - $24 million. Bruce Levine is reporting the deal to be worth between $6.5 - $7 million a year with incentives.
Update 10:52am C.T. - According to a report by Bruce Miles, the deal is expected to be announced next week after Marquis passes a physical. Miles stated the deal reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is incorrect and he is expected to be worth between $20 and $21 million. This would match with Levine's report about incentives.
Update 11:32am C.T. - Jason Marquis is 28 years old and will not turn 29 until August. His career year came in 2004 with the Cardinals when he was 15-7 with a 3.71 ERA. He has averaged just over 200 innings over the last 3 years with and average of 32 starts. But despite the success he had with the Cardinals he did allow 26 home runs and over the past 3 seasons he has allowed 90 home runs....an average of 30 a year. After reviewing his stats, here is an interesting one, worth passing along:
In 2006 he started 12-day games and was 7-5 with a 4.33 ERA, a .246 opponents batting average and a 1.27 WHIP.
His night starts were at the other end of the spectrum....21 games started, 7-11 with a 6.95 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and a .312 opponents batting average. In 4 career starts at Wrigley he is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in 20 innings and has given up 6 long balls.
Career numbers vs. the Central:
Milwaukee - 4-6 in 11 starts in 13 games, 4.43 ERA
Cincinnati - 4-3, 10 starts, 4.76 ERA
Houston - 7-4, 14 starts in 19 games, 4.89 ERA
Pittsburgh - 3-4, 10 starts in 14 games, 3.76 ERA
St. Louis - 1-0, 1 start in 3 games with a 2.25 ERA
Chicago - 3-5, 10 starts in 11 games with a 4.48 ERA
Will update when more information becomes available....
Update 10:20pm C.T. - According to a report by Paul Sullivan in the Chicago Tribune on Saturday night the deal Marquis agreed to was a 3-year deal worth $21 million dollars. Larry Rothschild worked out with Marquis and he and the Cubs are convinced Marquis can return to the form from 2004.
According to Sullivan the Cubs' payroll for 2007 currently stands around $100 million with other moves on the horizon, including that of Cliff Floyd which Sullivan states is "a strong possibility and another move or two on tap." This year's staff payroll is around $31.8 million counting Prior; last season the starting staff cost $34.8 million.
Carlos Zambrano will be looking for around $14 million in arbitration next season according to Sullivan and will be willing to settle for around $13 million and would pay him one of the highest salaries of an arbitration eligible pitcher since Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux.
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