Marlins Reportedly in Store for Reunion With Tigers Pitcher Ahead of Spring Training
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The Miami Marlins have already made several significant transactions this offseason, and they still have some moves up their sleeve.
Since the offseason kicked off, the Marlins have acquired notable names, including Owen Caissie, Pete Fairbanks and Christoper Morel. The momentum continues as Miami has reportedly landed another free agent as of today.
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Per baseball columnist Jon Heyman, the Marlins are signing pitcher Chris Paddack of the Detroit Tigers to a $4M deal, with $500K incentives. What does this mean for Miami?
Paddack Marlins deal: $4M plus $500K incentives https://t.co/iAXOIUnAX4
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 9, 2026
Paddack To Reunite With Miami
Back in 2015, the Marlins picked Paddock 236th overall in the eighth round of the MLB draft. However, in July 2016, they shipped him out to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Fernando Rodney. He played with the Padres for three seasons, but once again, found himself being traded. This time, he landed with the Minnesota Twins, where he remained until 2025, before relocating to the Motor City.
His time there was short-lived, but between his time with the Twins and the Tigers last year, he logged a 5.35 ERA and 11 strikeouts across 158.0 innings pitched through 33 games, 28 of which he started.
Now, Paddack is gearing up for a reunion with the Miami ballclub that drafted him over a decade ago.
He has seen a bit of a downfall in recent years when it comes to numbers, particularly compared to his rookie season in 2019 with Minnesota, when he recorded a 3.33 ERA and 153 strikeouts across 140.2 innings pitched through 26 starts. Returning to his previous form will be imperative.
This helps solve part of the franchise's pitching staff woes, after waving off Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers earlier this offseason. Paddack is affordable, but he's also still experimenting on the mound. At 30 years old, he comes with veteran experience and leadership, but still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Paddack certainly has more than enough potential and value to provide to the Marlins, but not without putting in the work. Simply put, he must improve his stat sheet if he wants to gain credibility among the ballclub, but we've seen him pitch well in the past—perhaps Miami will be able to help unlock his true potential on the mound.
This reunion will either be a wise move in the long run or a flop for both Paddack and the Marlins. How will this move play out?
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Maria Aldrich lives in the captivating Adirondack Mountains in New York where she can be found scaling cliffs, hiking in the High Peaks and paddling down local rivers. After graduating from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Wilderness Education, Maria began documenting her backcountry experiences through written stories. Over the years, she has found herself drawn to sports journalism and now focuses on MLB, WNBA, NCAA and NHL writing. She can be reached at mariaaldrich20@outlook.com.