The Padres announced Monday that they have signed the right-hander German Marquez to a one-year deal with a partnership option through 2027. The LA Sports Management client is reportedly guaranteed $1.75MM. San Diego is well placed Johnny Britowho underwent internal ligament surgery last May, on the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster.
The team has been known to be looking for cheap pieces of the rotation and a complementary bat, according to president of baseball operations AJ Preller a few days ago. They achieved this by importing Nick Castellanos on a one-year contract when he was released from the Phillies. Now, they have spoken to the rotation side about one-year deals for Márquez and his right-hander partner. Griffin Canning. Canning is coming off an Achilles injury and projects as the starting back when he is healthy enough to return. Márquez figures to serve as back-of-the-rotation depth as well.
The 30-year-old (31 later this month) is coming off a decade of major league success with the Rockies. After a brief stint in 2016, he established himself as one of the team’s most reliable starters from 2017-21. During that time, he totaled 793 2/3 innings over 135 starts and posted a 4.25 ERA, a 24.0% strikeout rate, and a 6.9% walk rate. Márquez has been very successful with a combination of control and strong ground ball tendencies. He was worth 15.5 fWAR over those five years and consistently posted groundball rates in the mid-40s and low-50s, including a career-high 51.6% over 180 innings in 2021.
His performance started to decline from 2022 onwards. He made 31 starts in 2022, but his strikeout rate dipped below 20% for the first time since his 20 2/3-inning streak in 2016. His run prevention has slipped, with Márquez posting a below-average 4.95 ERA and stellar stats. He then underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, which cost him the rest of that year and the first few months of 2024. His return in July 2024 ended in one start, and he spent the rest of the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation, although his UCL was reportedly fine.
In 2025, Márquez pitched 126 1/3 innings over 26 starts but was clearly working with reduced material. His four-hit machine dropped to 94.8 MPH after averaging 95.6 MPH in his most recent healthy season in 2022. His sinker, which he used over 20% of the time, also slipped from 95.1 MPH to 94.3 MPH. Statcast rated his fastballs in the top 100 percent in run rate, while his knuckle curve, previously his best pitch, also earned a career-worst mark. The strikeouts dried up even more, Márquez’s 14.0% strikeout rate ranked third worst among starters with at least 100 innings. The Rockies decided to move on as Márquez reached free agency.
Perhaps a change of position will help Márquez recover from his low ball tendencies as he moves on from injury. He’ll get that chance with the Padres, who now have a decent amount of rotation depth. The team saw Dylan Cease he went to the Blue Jays but re-signed Michael King on a three-year contract in December. Yu Darvish he will miss 2026 while recovering from an internal brace procedure, and is reportedly considering retirement. Joe Musgrove he is coming back from Tommy John surgery and will be guaranteed a spot if healthy. That leaves the Lord, Nick Pivettaand Musgrove in the top three, with a combination of Márquez, Canning (if healthy), Randy Vásquezagain JP Sears taking the last two places.
Each of the Kings, Musgrove, Márquez and Canning comes with an injury risk, although the Padres have always seemed to favor stock depth over bringing in a big-name starter at this point early in the season. Zac Gallen was the last impact starter in free agency before re-signing with the Diamondbacks. Either way, his $18.7MM luxury tax number could have been too much given the reported struggles of the pitching staff. Low-cost signings like Canning and Márquez seem easy to accept, barring a potential buyout deal for Darvish.
RosterResource has the team on a $264.7MM luxury tax bill for 2026, putting them in the second penalty tier. The Padres pay the luxury tax in 2025 and will count as second rate payers in 2026. So, any money guaranteed to Canning and Márquez will come with another 42% penalty.
ESPN’s Alden González first reported that the Padres signed Márquez to a one-year deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported a similar option. The Associated Press reported a $1.75MM guarantee. Photo courtesy of Kelley Cox, Imagn Images
