The Florida Marlins ensured their pitching rotation would retain its best returning starter on Tuesday by signing Ricky Nolasco to a 1 year, $2.4 million deal. Nolasco and the Marlins were not seeing eye to eye on money for the contract until yesterday, they were previously $200,000 apart from each other. Getting a deal done with Nolasco yesterday helped the team avoid going to arbitration with him.

Nolasco’s return ensures that the Marlins keep a key piece of their rotation, and perhaps the best member of the rotation. Nolasco will likely be at the top of the rotation, followed by Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, and Chris Volstad.

Nolasco really found his form in 2008 achieving many career firsts and snapping several team records. Nolasco was a career best 15-8 in 32 starts last season over the course of 212 1/3 innings pitched. He had an ERA of 3.52 and struck out 186 batters while walking only 42. Nolasco set teams records for the most strikeouts in a month with 51 and threw the Marlins first complete game in 301 attempts by Florida starters. Nolasco also threw his first career complete game shutout.

The Marlins were very smart to make sure they did what was necessary to keep Nolasco. Though he is far from being an ace that would have dominated a huge salary elsewhere, he would have made a solid #2 starter for any team in baseball. Keeping Nolasco ensures the Marlins have their most seasoned pitcher returning and provides an anchor to their pitching rotation.