SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Out in the Venezuela sun, Germán Márquez spent part of his offseason throwing with his younger brother.

Germeia is just 13, but has big dreams of playing just like his big brother one day. It was the first time in over two years that the two played together, as Márquez was unable to get home until this winter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He loves baseball,” Márquez said. “It was good to be home.”

In 2020, Márquez was able to obtain visas for his wife and son by going through Colombia. They now live with him in Denver, and last year finally got to attend his games. But Germeia, along with his parents and sister, have never seen him pitch in the major leagues in person. They’ve missed all of his big career milestones, from his first start to his All-Star appearance, gathering around their TV to stream them instead of sitting in the stands. Márquez is hoping this is the year that finally changes. He’s working on getting them visas, so they can spend an extended period of time with him in Denver.

“Hopefully they see me this year,” he said.

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Márquez spent the first part of his offseason training at Coors Field, then went home after the lockout began and major league players no longer had access to team facilities. In Venezuela, at the home he bought for his family after making the big league roster, Márquez pitched to his brother and trained at a nearby facility.

But when he came back to Denver in February, it was time to get back to business. None of his teammates were in Colorado — most spend the offseason in Arizona or Florida so they can train outside — but Márquez chose to return. He likes the city and the snow — as long as he can stay inside and look at it from the warmth of his house — and wanted to spend some more time there.

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Unlike when he was home though, it was hard to find a spot to throw outside in the middle of winter. He found indoor spaces, but none that had a pitching space longer than 70 feet, so he couldn’t play long ball. He also had a hard time finding hitters to throw against. So he went to Metropolitan State University of Denver, a Division II school, to play with their team.

None got a hit off him. But all were anxious to pester the All-Star with questions.

“They were excited,” Márquez said. “It was fun.”

On top of his love for the city, spending part of his offseason at altitude was also a tactical decision for Márquez. He had trouble commanding his fastball in the first month of the season last year, in part because of the transition back to altitude. That delivery was his main focus this offseason, on top of continuing to develop his changeup.

“I think it’s going to help me a lot,” he said. “It was a little freezing, but it was good.”

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