Marquis likely tojoin Cubs

~ The right-handed pitcher was 14-16 with St. Louis last yearbut did not pitchin the playoffs.

CHICAGO -- Pitcher Jason Marquis is likely to become the latest acquisition in the Chicago Cubs' offseason spending spree.

Marquis and the Cubs are negotiating a three-year contract, a person with knowledge of the talks said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement had yet been made.

Terms have not yet been agreed to -- the deal is likely to be in the $20 million range. Talks were delayed when Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was hospitalized for two days during the winter meetings. Hendry was released from an Orlando, Fla., hospital on Friday and planned to return to Chicago today.

After terms are agreed to, Marquis would have to pass a physical for the agreement to be finalized.

His decision to sign with the Cubs was reported first by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Marquis was 14-16 last season with a 6.02 ERA for St. Louis and was left off the roster for the final two rounds of the postseason. He was 0-4 with a 7.25 ERA in five September starts.

Chicago easily has been the highest-spending team during the offseason. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez got the first big deal, a $75 million, five-year contract that was the biggest deal in club history -- for about a week.

Then the Cubs and Alfonso Soriano agreed to a $136 million, eight-year contract that is the fifth-richest in baseball history.

At the winter meetings, left-hander Ted Lilly agreed to a $40 million, four-year deal.

Also during the offseason, the Cubs acquired lefty reliever Neal Cotts in a trade with the White Sox, added second baseman Mark DeRosa ($13 million over three years) and re-signed pitchers Kerry Wood ($1.75 million) and Wade Miller ($1.5 million), and backup catcher Henry Blanco ($5.25 million over two years).

Marquis would join a rotation that includes Carlos Zambrano, Lilly, lefty Rich Hill, and maybe Mark Prior or Miller.