'I feel so good, man': Healthy M¨¢rquez ready to lead Rockies rotation
Thomas Harding
@harding_at_mlbSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Success came quickly for Rockies right-hander Germán Márquez. He helped the Rockies to the postseason in each of his first two seasons in 2017 and '18, and earned an All-Star Game invitation in 2021.
Even the struggles since -- which culminated in Tommy John surgery that wiped out much of 2023 and limited him to one start last year -- have sped by.
¡°Baseball life is fast,¡± M¨¢rquez said Thursday as Colorado pitchers and catchers began Spring Training workouts. ¡°I feel like those things were yesterday, and this is going to be my [10th] season. I think we¡¯re going to get more good moments.¡±
Those moments for M¨¢rquez and the Rockies need to happen quickly.
M¨¢rquez, who turns 30 on Feb. 22, is entering the final year of his contract. He is due $10 million but the deal is structured for him to earn up to $20 million if healthy.-- a $4 million roster bonus ($2 million each for 30 and 60 days on the active roster) and performance bonuses up to $6 million ($2 million each for 140, 150 and 160 innings pitched).
¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it,¡± M¨¢rquez said. ¡°I just want to do my job and do my best for the team.¡±
The Rockies signed three of the starters from those surprise postseason trips -- M¨¢rquez, Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela -- to multi-year contracts, hoping they could carry the load while the rest of the roster rebuilt around them. All have had struggles and injuries, with Senzatela also undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.
After six straight losing seasons, including more than 100 losses each of the past two years, the Rockies find themselves right back where they were when M¨¢rquez and Co. debuted -- entering a season with low expectations. The difference now is, with lefty Austin Gomber and righty Ryan Feltner returning, there is a veteran rotation. While Colorado likes its crew of prospects, those guys are just now touching the Major League level.
That¡¯s enough for M¨¢rquez to be optimistic.
¡°I feel we have a good team to go and compete,¡± M¨¢rquez said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of young guys with veteran guys. I like that mix.¡±
As was the case going on nine seasons ago, they have each other.
M¨¢rquez and Freeland definitely do.
When M¨¢rquez completed his rehab and returned to start on July 14 against the Mets, he stuck out three to bring his career total to 986 -- one more than the previous club record holder, Jorge De La Rosa. Last year, Freeland missed a little more than two months with a left elbow injury that didn¡¯t require surgery. A strong second half brought Freeland¡¯s career strikeout total to 820.
Freeland has talked of a friendly quest to catch M¨¢rquez. Contractually, Freeland has the advantage since he is signed through 2026 with a '27 option that vests if he pitches 170 innings next season.
A good year from M¨¢rquez -- and a good enough year for the Rockies that they don¡¯t end up dealing him to a more successful club at the Trade Deadline -- could allow the two to keep battling for the franchise strikeout record.
¡°We¡¯ve spoken a little bit about it,¡± Freeland said, smiling. ¡°Obviously, that¡¯s not something we¡¯re chasing. Those are accolades that come with time in the league and time with an organization. It shows we have been with the organization for a long time; we¡¯ve had success. But that¡¯s not our ultimate goal.
¡°I was telling ¡®Senza¡¯ yesterday, I¡¯m so happy that I¡¯ve got my two boys back that I¡¯ve been missing for a couple of years.¡±
M¨¢rquez added: ¡°To do it for the team, we have to keep working. That competition keeps you going.¡±
M¨¢rquez¡¯s return start last season came after a lengthy rehab that had a brief setback that was described as a stress reaction near the elbow.
¡°It was different from the Tommy John [surgery] that put him down,¡± manager Bud Black said. ¡°He¡¯s a healthy regular player [now].¡±
The way he feels now, M¨¢rquez believes shutting him down was a good move.
¡°I felt like I needed a rest, because I didn¡¯t stop throwing [after being cleared to begin rehab],¡± said M¨¢rquez, who rested for three months before ramping up a throwing program in November. ¡°This year, I feel so good, man.
¡°I¡¯m excited to keep going.¡±