VIERA, Fla. — Jason Marquis never got the off season phone call he hoped would bring him home.
The Staten Island native entered free agency wanting an offer from the Mets, but when it became evident the team wasn’t interested he signed a two-year deal worth $15 million with the Nationals.
“I wanted to come home to New York to play in front of family and friends — you’ve got people on your side,” Marquis said before the Mets beat the Nationals 14-6 in an exhibition game. “Washington showed aggressiveness. They wanted me.”
Marquis went 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA last season for the Rockies, having previously pitched for the Braves, Cardinals and Cubs.
He said he isn’t sure how far discussions with the Mets got, because he instructed his agents to only get back to him with serious offers. The Mets’ name never came up.
“I wasn’t expecting anything,” Marquis said. “[But] it was very disappointing when we didn’t hear back from them.”
Marquis is slated to face Oliver Perez today at Tradition Field.
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Fernando Martinez was the Mets’ offensive star yesterday with a 4-for-4 performance that included two solo homers. Martinez is competing for a roster spot as the team’s fifth outfielder.
“To see [Martinez’s] display of power, especially on offspeed pitches was impressive today,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “When we had him in New York I didn’t see him handle that pitch very well. To see him take good swings at it and put it in play with that type of authority shows he is maturing.”
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Ike Davis made a first-inning fielding error that led to the Nationals scoring an unearned run, but went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to continue an impressive spring at the plate. Davis is batting .538 with a homer and six RBIs over the Mets’ first five Grapefruit League games.