Colorado Rockies Sign Former All-Star Pitcher Germán Márquez to Multi-Year Extension
The Colorado Rockies have signed right-handed pitcher Germán Márquez to a two-year extension, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Friday. The club later confirmed the move in an official media release.
Márquez, who turns 29 years old in February, underwent Tommy John surgery in May. Colorado had a $16 million option on Márquez next year with a $2.5 million buyout, but that has been wiped out by this new deal.
Instead, the Rockies will pay Márquez $20 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons – $10 million each year. Márquez can also earn up to $10 million in additional performance bonuses in 2025, which are based almost entirely around how long he spends on the major league roster and how many innings he pitches.
“Germán has been an integral part of the Rockies organization both on and off the field since his first Major League season in 2016,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said in the press release. “We are excited to secure Germán’s future in Denver with this extension and can’t wait to see him back out on the mound.”
Márquez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2011. He was traded to the Rockies in 2016 in exchange for outfielder Corey Dickinson and infielder Kevin Padlo, and he immediately slotted in as the No. 6 pitcher and No. 14 prospect in Colorado's farm system.
Later that year, Márquez made his MLB debut, and he has been a lynchpin in the Rockies' rotation ever since.
Márquez finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2017, then he won a Silver Slugger in 2018. In 2021, Márquez made his first and only All-Star Game.
Despite suiting up for a perennial losing organization in a hitter-friendly ballpark, Márquez has still managed to post a 65-56 career record with a 4.41 ERA and 1.283 WHIP. Márquez ranks No. 11 in Rockies history with a 17.7 WAR, which is good enough for No. 3 among pitchers behind only Ubaldo Jiménez and Kyle Freeland.
From 2017 to 2022, Márquez ranked fourth in all of baseball in games started with 166. Gerrit Cole, Patrick Corbin and Aaron Nola were the only pitchers with more starts than Márquez in that span.
Márquez was 2-2 with a 4.95 ERA and 1.100 WHIP through four starts in 2023 before going down with his elbow injury.
Although he figures to miss most of the 2024 campaign, Márquez now has more financial security heading into the offseason, as well as the opportunity to return and cash the biggest check of his career come 2025.
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