| Jordan Walgreen. 27th January, 2009 - 2:22 pm
 As part of their overall re-tooling of their roster, the Rockies traded Luis Vizcaino to the Cubs for veteran Jason Marquis just after the first of the year.
With 18 days left until pitchers report to spring training, it appears Marquis already has his plate full. Reports are that Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis may not be ready for opening day, which puts Marquis in the spotlight to pick up the slack and give the club consistent quality starts.
Winning has seemed to follow Marquis ever since he came up with the Atlanta Braves. He has put up ten-plus wins in each of the past fives seasons despite a modest career ERA of 4.55. He was with the St. Louis Cardinals during their consistent playoff runs and 2006 World Series win, and most recently he was in the rotation of the back-to-back NL Central champion Cubs.
Another benefit for the Rockies is that Marquis seems to dominate the NL West. He is 18-14 with a 2.54 ERA against NL West teams including a 3-0 record, with a 2.51 ERA at Coors Field. The closest he has come to struggling against an NL West foe has been against the Padres, as he has a 4.02 ERA in eight career starts.
Career ERA in NL West Parks
AT&T: 2.21
Petco: 2.66
Chase: 3.60
Dodger Stadium: 1.71
Assuming Marquis is unable to sustain that 2.51 Coors Field ERA, he should at least have a very good road split. This was the case in 2008, when Marquis had a 5.53 ERA at Wrigley Field and a 3.46 mark on the road.
Marquis has been far from dominant over the past three seasons, with a 6.02 ERA in 2006, 4.60 in 2007, and 4.53 in 2008, but with his knack for pitching just well enough to give his offense a chance to bail him out, he will be an important key to the success of the Rockies during the 2009 campaign. |
