Marlins to add World Series champ Johnny Cueto to bolster young rotation: report

The Miami Marlins reportedly bolstered their rotation with the addition of two-time All-Star pitcher Johnny Cueto on Tuesday.

Cueto, who pitched in 25 games for the Chicago White Sox, signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Marlins that comes with a club option for the 2024 season, The Athletic reported. The Marlins have yet to officially announce the deal.

Cueto will turn 37 at the start of spring training next month. He had a 3.35 ERA and 102 strikeouts for the White Sox in 2022. It was the first time he recorded more than 100 strikeouts in a season since 2017.

The right-hander has played 15 years in the majors with the White Sox, San Francisco Giants Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds. He was runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award winner in 2014 when he led the league in strikeouts with 242 and the majors with 6.2 hits per nine innings.

RECENTLY DFA’ED TREVOR BAUER SAYS DODGERS ‘WANTED’ HIM TO RETURN AND ‘PITCH FOR THE TEAM THIS YEAR’

He won a World Series with the Royals.

Should he make it to the opening day roster, Cueto will join a young rotation led by the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. The rotation will also include Sixto Sanchez, Pablo Lopez, Jesus Luardo and Edward Cabrera. Sanchez is coming back from shoulder surgery.

The Marlins finished fourth in the National League East in 2022 with a 69-93 record. The team hired Skip Schumaker as their new manager.