Marlins Heading Towards a Deep Bullpen of Southpaws
In this story:
Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix addressed some needs his team had for the 2026 season over the winter. One area that Bendix made a big addition to was the bullpen when he signed former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks to give manager Clayton McCullough a huge piece to close out games.
Another addition that the Marlins could have used in the bullpen is a left-handed reliever. On Wednesday, they signed John King, a former St. Louis Cardinals southpaw. Miami is also welcoming Cade Gibson, who broke out last season as a key piece of McCullough's bullpen last season, back in spring training. After not being in camp in 2025, the lanky left-hander is back and ready to secure another key role for the Marlins in 2026.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
Marlins Relief Pitcher Cade Gibson Looking to Solidify Bullpen in 2026
Gibson was selected in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft and after not being invited to spring training last year, he certainly became a big option in games once he arrived in April. He was consistent and reliable from the left side for Miami.
In 44 appearances last year, the 27-year-old was 4-5 with a 2.63 ERA in 54.2 innings, 43 strikeouts and a 1.4 WAR. He is someone that McCullough can count on to come in and throw strikes in any situation and not be rattled.
Gibson is in his first big league camp this year and is looking to nail down another key role for McCullough in 2026. Miami also added King, but another left-hander, Andrew Nardi, threw in Florida on Thursday, looking to come back and be another option down the line.
Nardi missed the 2025 season with back problems, but he is back, looking to give Miami another option from the left side this season. He threw 30 pitches, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com on Thursday.
"First 15 felt really good," Nardi said. "I was sitting 91 [mph], which is great for me, I feel like, especially in a bullpen. And then I sat down for five minutes and came back out. I was a little stiff, but kind of what everybody was expecting. Haven't done that in over a year now, but overall, felt good. The last 15 I was still 89-90 [mph], but I think everybody's happy where I'm at right now, and we'll start live ABs next session.''
After having just one reliable option in 2025, McCullough is in a position to have multiple options this year. You know what you're going to get with Gibson, but King and Nardi could be more options to fill out a bullpen in front of Fairbanks late in games.
