The Cardinals avoided arbitration for a seventh consecutive season when they agreed with their only arbitration candidate, right-hander Jason Marquis, on a $5.15 million, one-year contract. Marquis, who will be eligible for free agency after this season, will make more in base salary than any Cardinals starting pitcher other than left-hander Mark Mulder, who will receive a $7.75 million base.

Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter is signed at a $5 million base although he can make $6.5 million if he pitches 220 innings or more.

Marquis, who won the Silver Slugger last season for hitting prowess as a pitcher, had just a 13-14 record on the mound but finished 4-1 when he began concentrating more on his signature pitch, the sinkerball.

"Really, all I had to do was go back to basics," said Marquis. "I finally snapped out of that funk and learned from my mistakes.

"I won't get in that rut again."

The Cardinals fleshed out their bullpen by signing 39-year-old right-hander Jeff Nelson to a minor league contract that will pay him $800,000 if he makes the club. Nelson held right-handed hitters to a .196 average while working in 49 games with Seattle last year.

Nelson has appeared in 20 postseason series, 16 with the Yankees, and 16 World Series games -- all with the Yankees.

"I think signing a guy like Jeff should add to our depth," said manager Tony La Russa, who wants a seven-man bullpen on a potential 12-man staff.

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