Miami Marlins Sign Former Guardians, Rockies Pitcher Cal Quantrill to 1-Year Deal

Cal Quantrill got non-tendered by the Colorado Rockies in November, opening the door for the Miami Marlins to sign the veteran pitcher at the start of spring training.

Chicago, Illinois, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill (47) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Miami Marlins and free agent pitcher Cal Quantrill have agreed to a one-year contract, ESPN’s Alden González reported Wednesday afternoon.

FanSided’s Robert Murray added that Quantrill’s contract will be worth at least $3.5 million. Quantrill could earn up to $4 million in 2025, should he hit certain incentives.

Reports surfaced last week that the Marlins were looking to add at least one veteran starting pitcher at a modest salary. Quantrill, who just turned 30 years old on Monday, fits that bill.

Source: The Marlins have reached agreement on a one-year, major league deal with right-hander Cal Quantrill.

Quantrill gives a young Marlins rotation a durable veteran who has a knack for getting ground balls and isn’t far removed from a nice stretch in Cleveland from 2021-22.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 12, 2025

The Colorado Rockies non-tendered Quantrill back in November, sending him into free agency. He was heading into his final year of arbitration eligibility, with MLB Trade Rumors projecting him to earn $9 million and Spotrac slotting him in for $9.8 million.

Quantrill arrived in Colorado via a trade with the Cleveland Guardians in November 2023, and he proceeded to post the second-highest WAR on the Rockies' entire pitching staff in 2024. Across 29 starts, Quantrill went 8-11 with a 4.98 ERA, 1.517 WHIP and 1.7 WAR.

While that technically marked a step up from the 4-7 record, 5.24 ERA, 1.465 WHIP and -0.1 WAR that Quantrill put up with the Guardians in 2023, it remained a far cry from the 25-8 record, 3.08 ERA, 1.196 WHIP and 6.2 WAR that he had as a swingman-turned-starter from 2020 to 2022.

If Quantrill can replicate that production again, he could help prop up a Miami rotation full of young arms and question marks.

The Marlins traded Jesús Luzardo to the Philadelphia Phillies in December, just as Braxton Garrett  was undergoing UCL surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 campaign. Former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara is set to return from Tommy John surgery, though, so he and Quantrill will step right in for Luzardo and Garrett.

Ryan Weathers and Edward Cabrera – plus one of either Valente Bellozo, Max Meyer or Adam Mazur – will round out the Marlins' rotation to open the season. Eury Perez and Robby Snelling could enter the mix later on, as well.

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