Brailyn

Marquez

Marquez hasn’t been healthy the last few years as shoulder issues have derailed his once-promising career. The 25-year-old southpaw was one of Chicago’s top pitching prospects a few years ago and latched on with Houston back in December on a minor league deal.

Now this is interesting. Marquez was considered Chicago’s top pitching prospect just a few seasons ago, but his once-promising career has been derailed by shoulder issues. The 24-year-old southpaw hasn’t appeared in the majors since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and also struggled mightily this past season in the Cubs’ minor league system. Given his prospect pedigree, he’s a worthwhile gamble for Houston’s front office as a potential reclamation project.

Marquez, Quiroz and Young are the only inclusions from the Cubs’ first batch of cuts with any big league experience. Marquez, a former top pitching prospect for Chicago, hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2020 campaign due to injuries and will open the year in the minors.

Marquez was non-tendered by the Cubs last month, but winds up returning to the organization on a new deal. The 23-year-old former top prospect last appeared in the majors during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and hasn’t pitched at all since then due to injury.

Marquez was once considered one of the Cubs better pitching prospects, but he’s only pitched in one game over the past three seasons. The 23-year-old dealt with a shoulder strain in 2021 and didn’t pitch at all this season before undergoing a debridement procedure on the shoulder in June. Somebody will surely take a shot on him eventually, but he just needs to get healthy.

Marquez made one relief appearance for the Cubs back in 2020 and that will be the only game he’s pitched in in three seasons. It’s not clear when the 23-year-old might be game-ready again.

“He’s throwing,” Hoyer said. “We’re trying to get him off a mound and get him back to pitching in games, but that’s not imminent right now.” Marquez missed all of the 2021 campaign because of a shoulder strain, and the southpaw -- once considered among the best southpaw prospects in the sport -- likely won’t be able to make his return to game action until the summer.

The Cubs augmented their starting rotation by claiming veteran southpaw Wade Miley off waivers from the Reds earlier this offseason, but are left with soft-tossing righty Kyle Hendricks as the only other established starter on the major-league roster who is guaranteed a rotation spot next season. Per Hawkins, Alzolay, Steele, Thompson, Marquez and Mills will be given an extended looks this spring. Of that group, Alzolay possesses the highest fantasy ceiling and would be an intriguing end-game target for fantasy managers in drafts next spring.

Marquez missed the entire 2021 campaign due to a left shoulder strain, but it would appear the hope is that he has a relatively normal offseason. The left-hander is one of the Cubs’ best pitching prospects but has made just one appearance since the start of 2020.

Marquez has had to work his way back into shape after testing positive for COVID-19 prior to spring training. He’s currently still working out at the Cubs’ spring training complex but is close to joining a minor league affiliate. Jim Callis of MLB.com says Marquez is slated to start the season at Double-A Tennessee. The lefty could push to join the major league rotation at some point this season.