Germán Márquez signs two-year extension to remain with the Colorado Rockies through 2025

Germán Márquez and the Colorado Rockies have agreed to a two-year extension that keeps the right-hander in purple through the 2025 season.

The 28-year-old has been out since April and will miss the remainder of the year, as well as the start of the 2024 season, following Tommy John surgery in May to repair his damaged UCL.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Márquez will receive a base salary of $20 million for the next two seasons. Additional escalators, as first reported by Thomas Harding of MLB.com, could earn him upwards of $10 million for varying levels of good health ($2 million each for 30 and 60 days on the active roster in 2025) and productivity ($2 million each for 120, 140 and 160 innings pitched in 2025), plus an extra $1 million if he’s traded. 

Breaking #Rockies news:

Germán Márquez WILL pitch again as a Colorado Rockie. pic.twitter.com/77526xgUx2

— DNVR Rockies (@DNVR_Rockies) September 8, 2023

“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 Senior Vice President and General Manager Bill Schmidt said in a 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.”

After making the 2023 Opening Day start for his franchise-record third time, the Venezuela born starter went on the injured list for right forearm inflammation on April 12. He returned to make another start on April 26 before exiting the game with right elbow inflammation, prompting the season-ending surgery.

The 2021 All-Star had signed a five-year, $43 million contract at the beginning of the 2019 season. The deal also included a club option for 2024 at $16 million. The Rockies had an option to buyout that final year for $2.5 million, making Márquez a free agent at season’s end. Now, his immediate future will remain in Colorado.

Márquez debuted for the Rockies in 2016 after coming to the organization that offseason with LHP Jake McGee in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for OF Corey Dickerson and 3B Kevin Padlo. He has a career record of  65-56 with a 4.41 ERA (1016.0 IP, 498 ER) through 176 games (173 starts). With 983 strikeouts, he’s two shy of tying Jorge De La Rosa for the franchise record.

Along with Márquez, Colorado has five starting pitchers under contract through the 2025 season: Kyle Freeland, signed through 2026 with a conditional opt-out after 2024 and a mutual option for 2027; Antonio Senzatela, signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027, Austin Gomber arbitration eligible through 2025; and Ryan Feltner, arbitration eligible through 2028. 

By that time, the Rockies hope some of their top pitching prospects like LHP Joe Rock, RHP Case Williams as well as 2023 first-rounder RHP Chase Dollander will begin to impact the big league roster.

Diamond Details

As for the whereabouts of the ninth overall pick in July’s first-year player draft, Dollander will not play any affiliated ball before the minor league regular season ends on Sept. 24, according to Thomas Harding.

First look at @Rockies 2023 first-round pick and No. 3 prospect Chase Dollander getting in a bullpen session. pic.twitter.com/wwLN5F4y5O

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 8, 2023

The 21-year-old, however, has been staying busy and working with the staff at Colorado’s training facility at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

Ahead of Friday’s game at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants, the Rockies made a notable transaction:

• LHP Austin Gomber was placed on the 60-day injured list (lower back inflammation) while the contract of RHP Victor Vodnik was selected from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Vodnik, 23, was acquired from Atlanta in the Pierce Johnson trade along with RHP Tanner Gordon. Over 42 in Double-A and Triple-A, Vodnik compiled 53.2 innings and managed a 3.35 ERA, including an impressive 9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio with Hartford. 

The fourth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft will wear the no. 60 last worn by RHP Ashton Goudeau and most notably worn by RHP Manny Corpas.