The St. Louis Cardinals and starting pitcher Jason Marquis avoided arbitration on Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year contract for 2006. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The right-hander finished 13-14 with a 4.13 earned run average in 33 games, 32 starts, for the Cardinals last season. Marquis was coming off a 2004 campaign in which he posted a 15-7 mark with a 3.71 ERA. The 27-year-old has a 42-36 record with a 4.15 earned run average in five-plus years in the majors, with 28 of those victories coming in his last two seasons with St. Louis. Marquis has also excelled as a hitter, batting .310 with one home run and 10 runs batted in last season to win the 2005 National League Silver Slugger as a pitcher.