Germ\u00e1n M\u00e1rquez could quickly go from Padres castoff to revenge-game threat<\/p>\n
M\u00e1rquez doesn\u2019t need a month-long buildup. He was starting and working extended relief for the Padres before they cut him loose. <\/a>On July 31, he delivered five scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Giants to record the first save of his career.\u00a0 Four days later, he surrendered four runs and two homers in one inning against Arizona. He was then booted him off the roster the following day.<\/p>\n That two-appearance swing captured the entire Padres experience with M\u00e1rquez. One week, he was a stabilizer. The next week, things could fly off the rails. When the Friars acquired Ray, the writing was on the wall for M\u00e1rquez.<\/p>\n The decision made sense. He carried a 5.26 ERA and 1.49 WHIP across 48 innings. It would\u2019ve been strange to see those numbers survive a deadline overhaul.<\/p>\n The Twins have options on how they\u2019d like to deploy him if they call him up.They could use him as a starter, or deploy him in a similar piggyback role. He\u2019s familiar and comfortable with both.<\/a><\/p>\n What is more interesting is M\u00e1rquez\u2019s history with the Padres. During his decade with the Rockies, he went 11-5 with 119 strikeouts in 21 career appearances against the Friars. His 4.87 ERA in those games doesn\u2019t tell us that he was unhittable. But 11 victories against one opponent is nothing to sneeze at.<\/a><\/p>\n He also spent the entire season inside the Padres\u2019 clubhouse. He knows their hitters, their tendencies and the way their coaching staff prepares. There\u2019s nothing sinister about that familiarity, but it certainly won\u2019t hurt Minnesota if it decides to put him on the mound during the series.<\/p>\n
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