The Miami Marlins are in agreement with 37-year-old right-hander Johnny Cueto.

The deal will consist of a one-year contract worth $8.5MM and will include a club option for the 2024 season. The contract will be paid in the form of $6MM this upcoming season with a $2.5MM buyout if the Marlins decide not to pick up the option. If they choose to pick up the club option for 2024 then Cueto will make $10MM that season.

Over the years, the 15-year veteran has pitched for four teams which will make the Marlins his fifth. It will also be his third team in as many seasons. Beginning his career in 2008 with the Cincinnati Reds, Cueto is a 2x All-Star and One-time World Series Champion. He was among the best pitchers in the league from 2011 to 2016. During the 2014 season, he led the NL in innings pitched (243 2/3) and strikeouts (242) while also posting a sterling 2.25 ERA (163 ERA+) en route to his first All-Star appearance and a second-place finish in Cy Young award voting.

The Reds traded Cueto in 2015 in exchange for Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, and Cody Reed. That same year Cueto won the World Series with the Royals before he departed in free agency and signed with the San Francisco Giants. The beginning of that six-year deal looked great. Cueto was excellent. Posting an ERA of 2.79 (144 ERA+) with a FIP of 2.95 over 219 2/3 innings which led him to his second All-Star appearance and a fourth-place finish in Cy Young award voting as the Giants secured a spot in the Wild Card game, defeating the Mets in a one-game playoff before falling to the Cubs in the NLDS. After that though, Cueto struggled. He posted 4.38 ERA (95 ERA+) and 4.47 FIP in just 394 1/3 innings while spending time on the injured list over the next five seasons.

Last season, he settled for a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox. That deal worked out phenomenally for both sides, as Cueto posted a resurgent season in 2022 and looked a bit more like his old self as he posted a 3.35 ERA (118 ERA+) and 3.79 FIP across 24 starts and 158 1/3 innings.

Though there will be some concerns due to his age, Johnny Cueto could still be a quality arm for the Marlins in 2023.  He joins a Miami rotation already overflowing with options: ace Sandy Alcantara is followed by Pablo Lopez, Jesus Luzardo, Trevor Rogers, Edward Cabrera, and Braxton Garrett in addition to Cueto.

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