Rockies make a statement with latest signing

The Colorado Rockies have a vision for their future.

Midway through last season, and maybe even as recent as a month ago, most of the national media and more than a handful of the local crowd, saw their window of contention as one that was quickly closing.

But they had other plans.

It began innocuously about this time a year ago with a big extension for Charlie Blackmon.

It continued this past offseason when they decided to commit long-term to Bud Black and Nolan Arenado.

Now, as we predicted it would after our conversations with Jeff Bridich at the winter meetings, the plan has extended to the next generation.

German Marquez has reportedly agreed to a five-year extension worth $43 million.

If he pitches close to how he has so far over the course of that contract, it will be an outright steal at (we don’t know the details on structure) $8.6 million per year.

Many eyes were locked on Trevor  Story who emerged as a legitimate NL MVP candidate last season and Denver-native Kyle Freeland who finished fourth in Cy Young voting, and those guys may well be next in line, but Marquez is no less a part of this team’s core.

Marquez also talked with BSN Denver about his love for Denver and the Colorado Rockies.

He came into the Rockies organization in 2015 as part of one of Bridich’s first trades as GM. The move sent out Corey Dickerson and prospect Kevin Padlo and also brought in reliever Jake McGee.

Marquez quickly rose up the ranks, earning the Double-A Eastern League Pitcher of the Year award before making his MLB debut in August of that year against the San Diego Padres.

He was on the Opening Day roster in 2017 and went on to lead all rookies with 147 strikeouts and 14 quality starts.

He followed up that remarkable rookie campaign by setting a new franchise strikeout record (230) last season.

Having just turned 24-years-old in February, the Rockies will have the swing-and-miss artist through the 2023 season when he is 28 years of age, allowing him the possibility for a huge payday should he continue to put up the kind of numbers he has so far in his career.

Marquez has already recorded 399 strikeouts in his 384.2-inning career and posted a 3.77 ERA last season. The highlight moment came in his final regular-season start against the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out the first eight batters of the game, which tied an MLB record.

He even won a Silver Slugger last season and famously took position-player Daniel Descalso deep for a home run, becoming one of the most fun players to watch on a roster that isn’t exactly short on them.

The Little Whip, Pequeno Latigo, may end up being the first signee in a series of dominoes that sees the club take a window that many thought was closing and throw it wide open like a hero at the beginning of a Disney movie.

But before looking ahead at how else the Rockies might keep making statements and defying expectations with their signings, it’s worth letting this sink in for the young man from Venezuela who just became a father a few months ago.

He has earned, well-earned, his first Major League contract.

The future is bright.