Miami Marlins Part Ways With Long-Time MLB Veteran

The Miami Marlins designated left-handed pitcher John King for assignment on Sunday, clearing a roster spot to recall right-hander Jack Ralston from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Ralston, whose contract was selected earlier this month before he was optioned back to the minors, is set to make his major league debut.

King, 31, joined the Marlins in February on a one-year, $1.5 million contract after being non-tendered by the St. Louis Cardinals.

A ground-ball specialist, he has been a major league presence since his debut with the Texas Rangers on September 4, 2020. He spent his first three-plus seasons in Texas before a mid-2023 trade to St. Louis, where he pitched through 2025.

In 2026 with Miami, King posted a 6-2 record with a 3.99 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 33 strikeouts, and 17 walks over 49 2/3 innings in 50 appearances (including one start).

He got off to a strong start, carrying a sub-2.60 ERA through much of the first half and into early summer. A left lateral ankle sprain landed him on the 15-day injured list in early July; he returned later that month after the minimum stay.

His performance slipped sharply in August, when he allowed 10 earned runs in just 6 2/3 innings across seven outings for a 13.50 ERA.

Manager Clayton McCullough called the decision “very difficult,” praising King as a consummate professional and teammate who always took the ball without ego, even in less-than-ideal situations.

McCullough framed the move as a forward-looking choice about the group best positioned to help the club win down the stretch.

King’s career numbers through mid-August 2026 stand at 22-16 with a 3.83 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 303 innings.

He remains a candidate to be claimed by another club seeking left-handed bullpen help, given his earlier success this season, solid ground-ball rates, and recent track record that includes a 2.85 ERA with the Cardinals in 2024. Only a modest portion of his $1.5 million salary remains on the books.

With King’s departure, Cade Gibson is the sole lefty in Miami’s bullpen. The Marlins, sitting around .500 in the NL East, continue reshaping their roster as they push through the final weeks of the season.

King now enters the seven-day window in which he can be traded, claimed off waivers, or outrighted.