The signing of Jason Marquis is a admission of total failure by the Cubs minor league pitching system. They’re not signing Marquis because they think he’s good – they’re actually pretty clear that they know he’s not good, and it’s a pretty safe bet to project him in mop up or gone by the end of the three year deal – they’re signing him because he hasn’t gotten hurt (yet) and he hasn’t pitched bad enough to get yanked from a bad rotation (except he totally did, but shhhhh).
They’re signing him because of all the pitchers they tried, only RIch Hill could conistently make it thru the 5th and 6th. (That he was actually GOOD is a bonus.) When they needed someone, anyone else to do the same, the likes of Guzman and Marmol and Prior failed, so either they weren’t properly prepared for the chance, or the Cubs made bad judgments in believed they’d be able to achieve at that level. Maybe both.
I think they’ve made a mistake in judgment here again – Maqruis pitched as many innings as he did because the Cardinals had as much depth problems as the Cubs did, not because he deserved to make it thru 2006. Maybe those who are optimistic will be proved right and he’ll rebound, but I wouldn’t bet a three year, 21 million contract on it.
Unrelated: I’m starting to sell myself on Jacque in CF to start the year. Anything so Hendry doesn’t finally land his white whale and start him way too much.