MLB

Francoeur: Marquis would love to join Mets next season

Jason Marquis apparently holds no grudge toward the Mets for their lack of interest in him last winter.

Jeff Francoeur told The Post yesterday that Marquis, whom he considers a close friend, desperately wants to pitch for the Mets next season, even as the veteran right-hander focuses on helping the Rockies clinch a wild-card berth.

“He’d love to come here,” Francoeur — who indicated Marquis broached the subject to him and David Wright earlier this month when the Mets played at Colorado — said before last night’s 11-3 Atlanta win at Citi Field.

“He’d be a great fit. He’s from Staten Island. He’s a New York type of guy. He’ll probably be coming off the best season he’s ever had.”

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The 31-year-old Marquis, who is 15-11 with a 3.84 ERA for the Rockies, is in the final season of a three-year deal worth $21 million. The Rockies traded for Marquis, a former Tottenville High standout, last offseason after the Cubs had first shopped him to the Mets.

At the time, Mets GM Omar Minaya was content moving forward with Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and John Maine, while trying to add a less expensive arm for the No. 5 spot. That ultimately became Livan Hernandez.

The big question is, will the financially hurting Mets have the money to spend on a pitcher of Marquis’ caliber?

John Lackey, Rich Harden and Jarrod Washburn are among the other proven starting pitchers who can become free agents. Marquis is earning $9.87 million this season, and the Mets already have $33 million committed to Santana and Perez alone in 2010.

But if the Mets signed Marquis, it would almost guarantee a playoff appearance, right? After all, if the Rockies reach the postseason, Marquis will have pitched 10 straight years for teams that made the playoffs.

Francoeur said he hopes the Mets focus more on pitching than offense this offseason, and indicated he may try to convince the front office that Marquis is the right fit.

“I’d tell them he’s a guy who can go out there and throw 200 innings every year — and the last few years, the guy averages 14, 15 wins a season,” Francoeur said. “That’s the kind of guy I want on my team.”

Gary Sheffield, who was Marquis’ teammate with Atlanta, said the right-hander’s competitive nature would make him a perfect fit to the Mets’ clubhouse.

“He’s a guy who takes pride in everything he does,” Sheffield said. “He’s not a guy who just goes out there and pitches. He considers himself a complete baseball player.”

Marquis’ easiest path to the Mets would be to accept a hometown discount. But given the possibility the Mets’ payroll of $140 million might be pared by 5 percent or more next season (a result of Bernie Madoff’s shenanigans), Marquis might have to be willing to work for peanuts or Cracker Jack.

That would seem especially true if the Mets make a play toward another established hitter.

“Everybody talks about bats, bats, bats,” Francoeur said. “But I’ve seen this game enough, and I grew up a Braves fan, that pitching wins baseball games.

“You look around, and I think pitching and defense is the always biggest key.”

mpuma@nypost.com