Chicago Cubs Rumors: German Marquez cannot be the team’s big trade

Chicago Cubs Rumors: German Marquez just doesn’t have what’s missing

Don’t get me wrong. The Chicago Cubs would be well served in going out and acquiring someone like Marquez, who comes with multiple years of control and is a solid middle-of-the-rotation presence. But that can’t be the big move the front office makes in hopes of remedying the gaping hole left by the Darvish trade last winter.

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Because Marquez just isn’t that guy.

Even if you do what people like to do when looking at Rockies pitchers and separate his home and road splits to eliminate the impact of hitter-friendly Coors Field, you can’t tell me this guy is someone you turn to with a series or season on the line.

Away from the Mile High City, Marquez is the owner of a respectable 3.67 ERA and 1.171 WHIP this season. While those numbers might stand out (especially given who he’d be alongside in a pretty shoddy Cubs rotation), they’re hardly the stuff of an ace.

According to his Baseball Savant page, Marquez’s pitches all have below-average movement, both horizontally and vertically, with the exception of his slider. He ranks near the bottom of the league in walk rate and, really, is, again, a middle-of-the-road type guy by most measures. That’s not to take anything away from the guy – it’s just a fact.