The Miami Marlins have reached an agreement with left-handed reliever John King on a one-year contract for the 2026 season worth $1.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. King was previously non-tendered by the St. Louis Cardinals last November. To add King and right-hander Chris Paddack, who also signed a one-year deal earlier this week, the Marlins must clear two spots on their 40-man roster. They plan to open one spot by moving injured pitcher Ronny Henriquez, who will miss the season due to Tommy John surgery, to the 60-day injured list.
King’s Career Background and Recent Performance
John King, age 31, pitched for the Texas Rangers from 2020 until mid-2023 before being traded to the Cardinals. He spent the remainder of the 2023 season and continued with St. Louis through the end of 2025. Standing 6’2”, King is known as a ground-ball specialist with a career 3.70 ERA over 243 innings pitched. However, his 2025 season performance declined, posting a 4.66 ERA in 48⅓ innings, the highest of his career, alongside a personal low strikeout rate of just 12.6%.
Statistical Insights on King’s Pitching Style
King is not renowned for generating strikeouts, and his 12.6% strikeout rate in 2025 fell three percentage points below his prior career average. Despite a strong walk rate of 6.3% last year, it was slightly elevated compared to the previous season’s 5.6%. His average sinker velocity dropped to 93 mph, the lowest since 2022. Nevertheless, King’s strength remains in inducing ground balls; he has maintained a career ground-ball rate of 61.5%, peaking at 66.9% in the 2023 campaign. This ability has helped him keep home runs low, allowing just 0.89 homers per nine innings over his major league career.
Effectiveness Against Left-Handed and Right-Handed Hitters
King has proven more effective against left-handed hitters, limiting them to a .251/.291/.337 batting line during his career. In contrast, right-handed batters have found greater success against him, slashing .302/.353/.430 across 682 plate appearances. This split highlights his role as a matchup-based bullpen option against left-handed hitters.
Marlins’ Pitching Staff and King’s Fit Within It
The Marlins have been seeking additional left-handed depth for bullpen manager Clayton McCullough’s roster. Current southpaw relievers Andrew Nardi, Cade Gibson, and Josh Simpson each come with uncertainties. Nardi missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. Gibson, despite registering a 2.63 ERA in his rookie year over 51⅔ innings, showed average strikeout and walk rates, and underlying metrics such as SIERA (4.08) and FIP (3.76) painted a less optimistic picture. Simpson performed well in the minors but struggled with a 7.34 ERA in 30⅔ major league innings. King brings more major league experience than these other lefties, offering a veteran presence with some risk.
Future Outlook for King and the Marlins
John King arrives in Miami with 4.148 years of major league service time, meaning that the Marlins will control his contract through arbitration in 2027 if they choose to retain him beyond 2026. While he must prove he can rebound from his recent downturn, returning to his 2021-24 form could secure a longer stay in Miami. His experience may provide valuable bullpen depth, but performance will dictate whether he earns a raise and contract extension after the upcoming season.
Left-handed reliever John King and the Miami Marlins are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. King, 31, was nontendered by St. Louis in November and lands with the Marlins on a fully guaranteed big league deal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 11, 2026
