The Twins signed starting pitcher Jason Marquis to a one-year, $3 million contract this past offseason, and now they've seen enough to cut their losses. The club announced Tuesday morning that Marquis has been designated for assignment (which is essentially baseball speak for "cut").
Marquis, 33, has been pretty terrible for the Twins all season, posting a 2-4 record with an 8.47 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and more walks (14) than strikeouts (12). That last straw appears to have been Sunday's start against the Brewers, where Marquis was lit up for eight runs on eight hits and lasted just 1 2/3 innings.
It's a pretty good bet that a National League club grabs Marquis. He was an All-Star for the Rockies in 2009 and had a few serviceable-to-good years for the Cubs and Cardinals. One of his assets to NL clubs is the fact that he's a good hitter and baserunner for a pitcher. And remember, since the Twins designated Marquis for assignment, any club picking him up will only be on the hook for the league minimum, while the Twins pick up the rest of the bill.
As a corresponding move, the Twins have promoted right-handed pitcher Cole DeVries. In eight Triple-A starts, DeVries is 1-4 with a 4.24 ERA and a sparkling 37-to-7 strikeout-to-walk rate.
