Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Lose 31-Year-Old Pitcher to Marlins in Free Agency

The former St. Louis Cardinals hurler has found a new home.
Patrick McAvoy|
Jul 19, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John King (47) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Jul 19, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John King (47) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

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One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals has found a new home just as Spring Training camps around the league have started to open up.

It's a big week around Major League Baseball. Spring Training camps started to open up on Tuesday. The Cardinals will officially kick off camp on Thursday with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report.

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With camps opening up, we've seen plenty of players already find deals throughout the week as they attempt to land with franchises for a full Spring Training. On Wednesday, former Cardinals hurler John King joined the crew of players who have found deals this week and agreed to terms on a deal with the Miami Marlins, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"Left-handed reliever John King and the Miami Marlins are in agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, sources tell ESPN," Passan wrote. "King, 31, was non-tendered by St. Louis in November and lands with the Marlins on a fully guaranteed big league deal."

The former Cardinals hurler has found a new home

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John King
Sep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John King (47) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

King is a six-year big league veteran and spent parts of the last three seasons in St. Louis. King joined the organization in 2023 in the trade with the Texas Rangers centered around Jordan Montgomery. On top of King, the Cardinals also brought Tekoah Roby and Thomas Saggese to town.

Overall, King pitched in 127 big league games for St. Louis. Over that stretch, he logged a 3.33 overall ERA in 127 innings pitched.

St. Louis opted to non-tender King this offseason, as Passan pointed out. While he may not be with St. Louis any longer, he's someone with upside. He's just 31 years old and was good overall in St. Louis, despite a tough 2025 season. In 2025, he had a 4.66 ERA in 51 appearances. In comparison, he had a 2.85 ERA in 56 appearances in 2024. The bullpen is volatile. At a price of $1.5 million over one year, he certainly is worth the risk with the upside that he has.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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