“Other than trying to lobby for some at-bats, I don’t think it’s going to change much,” Marquis said.

Well, he won’t have the pitcher’s spot in the lineup to face once every nine hitters, but he will get to pitch at spacious Target Field, which has been one of the most difficult parks to hit a homer in during its first two seasons of existence.

In the end, the Twins were looking for a veteran to help stabilize the back end of a shaky rotation. They went with Marquis, who missed the last month and a half of last season with a broken right leg after he was hit by a line drive.

The 33-year-old Marquis went 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA for the Washington Nationals last season before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 30. The right-hander was 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA in three starts for Arizona.

“He’s a groundball machine and he throws the ball over the plate,” Twins general manager Terry Ryan said.

Marquis actually walks 3.5 batters per nine innings, which is a little on the high side, especially by Twins standards. But the sinkerballer induces a ton of grounders, and the Twins were looking for somebody to come in after they traded Kevin Slowey to the Rockies so they could move left-handed starter Brian Duensing to the bullpen.

Ryan said that signing Marquis didn’t necessarily mean Duensing was moving to the ‘pen, but it’s clear that is the team’s preference. If everyone is healthy coming out of spring training, the Twins think that is the best scenario.

“If they’re all healthy, that certainly fortifies our bullpen,” Ryan said.

The expenditure brings the Twins’ payroll close to $100 million, which was a soft target the team had before the offseason in its effort to slash about $15 million.

“We’re closing in,” Ryan said. “We’ve got a little wiggle room here.”

Marquis can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses.

___

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Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jason Marquis spent his entire 12-season career in the National League before becoming a free agent this offseason. With the Minnesota Twins in need of a fifth starter, he figured he’d give the other circuit a try.

Marquis agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Twins on Thursday, and now he’s eager to take his sinker — and his dangerous bat — to the American League full-time.

“Other than trying to lobby for some at-bats, I don’t think it’s going to change much,” Marquis said.

Well, he won’t have the pitcher’s spot in the lineup to face once every nine hitters, but he will get to pitch at spacious Target Field, which has been one of the most difficult parks to hit a homer in during its first two seasons of existence.

In the end, the Twins were looking for a veteran to help stabilize the back end of a shaky rotation. They went with Marquis, who missed the last month and a half of last season with a broken right leg after he was hit by a line drive.

The 33-year-old Marquis went 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA for the Washington Nationals last season before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 30. The right-hander was 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA in three starts for Arizona.

“He’s a groundball machine and he throws the ball over the plate,” Twins general manager Terry Ryan said.

Marquis actually walks 3.5 batters per nine innings, which is a little on the high side, especially by Twins standards. But the sinkerballer induces a ton of grounders, and the Twins were looking for somebody to come in after they traded Kevin Slowey to the Rockies so they could move left-handed starter Brian Duensing to the bullpen.

Ryan said that signing Marquis didn’t necessarily mean Duensing was moving to the ‘pen, but it’s clear that is the team’s preference. If everyone is healthy coming out of spring training, the Twins think that is the best scenario.

“If they’re all healthy, that certainly fortifies our bullpen,” Ryan said.

The expenditure brings the Twins’ payroll close to $100 million, which was a soft target the team had before the offseason in its effort to slash about $15 million.

“We’re closing in,” Ryan said. “We’ve got a little wiggle room here.”

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Right-hander Jason Marquis has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins announced the move Thursday.

The 33-year-old Marquis went 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA for the Washington Nationals last season before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 30. Marquis went 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA in three starts for Arizona.

Marquis missed the last month and a half of the season with a broken right fibula after being hit by a line drive. He was an All-Star with the Colorado Rockies in 2009 and will likely be relied upon as a fourth or fifth starter in Minnesota.

The Twins were looking for a veteran arm after moving starter Brian Duensing to the bullpen and trading Kevin Slowey to the Rockies.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Right-hander Jason Marquis (mar-kee) has agreed to a
one-year, $3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins announced the move Thursday.

The 33-year-old Marquis went 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA for the Washington
Nationals last season before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July
30. Marquis went 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA in three starts for Arizona.

Marquis missed the last month and a half of the season with a broken right
fibula after being hit by a line drive. He was an All-Star with the Colorado
Rockies in 2009 and will likely be relied upon as a fourth or fifth starter in
Minnesota.

The Twins were looking for a veteran arm after moving starter Brian Duensing
to the bullpen and trading Kevin Slowey to the Rockies.

Twins starter Scott Baker shouts into his glove after giving up a game-tying home run to Boston’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the sixth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on Monday August 8, 2011. (Pioneer Press: Richard Marshall) (Richard Marshall)

The Minnesota Twins are bringing back pitcher Kevin Slowey to start Sunday at Cleveland and replace Scott Baker, who was placed on the disabled list this afternoon with a flexor strain in his right elbow.

Slowey hasn’t pitched with the Twins since begging out of the bullpen and being placed on the DL with an abdominal strain in late May. At the time, he told manager Ron Gardenhire he was unsuited to pitch in the bullpen after starting almost exclusively for the first four seasons of his career.

He will be activated Friday when the team starts a three-game series in Cleveland. Before beginning a long rehab assignment at Class A Fort Myers, Slowey was 0-0 with a 4.91 earned-run average in six appearances with the Twins. He was placed on the DL twice this season, once with the abdominal strain and once with bursitis in his right shoulder.

Slowey was 1-3 with a 3.55 ERA in seven starts with Rochester.

Baker pitched six innings in Monday’s 8-6 loss to Boston, but acknowledged pitching with pain in his right elbow, which has bothered him since before the all-star break. He is 8-6 with a 3.21 ERA.

Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey during picture day before the Minnesota Twins squad worked out during spring training exercises at Fort Myers Florida Friday morning February 25, 2011 (Pioneer Press: John Doman)