The Arizona Diamondbacks have made their first official move before the
Major League Baseball trade deadline.

The club announced Saturday afternoon that they’ve acquired right-handed
pitcher Jason Marquis from the Washington Nationals in exchange for
minor league infielder Zachary Walters.

Marquis, 32, is a major league veteran having played parts of 12 seasons
for the
Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals as well
as the Nationals. Over that span he posted a 104-97 record with a 4.52
ERA with 641 walks and 868 strikeouts in 323 games (264 starts).

He was an all-star in 2009 while with the Colorado Rockies. That season he
posted a 15-13 record with a 4.04 ERA, 115 strikeouts and 80 walks.

This season with the Nationals he was 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA (53 ER in 120.2
IP), 38 walks and 71 strikeouts in 20 starts. Opponents are hitting .283 off
of him. Since September 1, 2010 he has had 17 quality starts out of the
25 starts he’s had.

Marquis will give the Diamondbacks a much needed veteran presence at
the back end of their rotation and will likely allow either Micah Owings or
Josh Collmenter to go to the bullpen and add needed depth.

Walters, 21, was a ninth round selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft
by the Diamondbacks. He was hitting .302 with 27 doubles, 6 triples, 9
home runs and 56 RBI in 97 games with Single-A South Bend this year.
Over his roughly two seasons in the D-backs system he batted .302 with
45 doubles, 10 triples, 13 home runs and 99 RB in 166 games.

Marquis will make his Diamondbacks debut Wednesday in San Francisco.

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