JUPITER, Fla. – Veteran right-hander Chris Paddack used the long drive from his home in Texas to South Florida to reflect on his life's journey.
An eighth-round selection by the Marlins in the 2015 Draft, Paddack officially reunited with the organization on a one-year Major League deal on Thursday. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the contract is worth $4 million and includes an additional $500,000 in incentives.
"I didn't know when you're a young kid out of high school, my eyes were on the prize of getting to the big leagues, and you think that that's going to be the team that you ride with until your career is over," Paddack said on Friday morning before playing catch with fellow newcomer John King. "Very few times if that happens nowadays, unless you're a [Clayton] Kershaw or guys that just pitch for 15-plus years on the same team. So being traded three or four different times now, sometimes it sucks, because you've got to meet new players, new coaches, build that relationship back up.
"But it's a full circle moment for me, man, it's really cool. ... This is a cool opportunity with the team that gave me that first chance as a young kid. The fact that I get to put a Marlins jersey on and just show the city of Miami who I once was back in 2015 of why they drafted me is a pretty surreal moment. And excited, like I said, excited to contribute any way I can and get the ball rolling."
Paddack, who turned 30 last month, was dealt to the Padres for All-Star closer Fernando Rodney a year after being drafted and later developed into an electric top prospect. He produced a strong 2019 rookie campaign (3.33 ERA and 153 strikeouts), and has solidified as a reliable back-end starter since then.
Across that time span, Paddack’s underlying profile has featured many of the same traits: He still doesn’t walk anybody (career 5.2 percent walk rate) and generates tons of chases out of the zone (30.4 percent). During this timeframe, Paddack also dealt with injuries, missing much of the 2022-23 seasons due to Tommy John surgery, and right arm fatigue and a right forearm strain in '24.
This past season, a healthy Paddack tossed a career-high 158 innings in stints with the Twins and Tigers in 2025, posting a 5.35 ERA and striking out 112 batters. He still ranked in the 92nd percentile in extension (7.0), 89th percentile in walk rate (5.5%) and 85th percentile in chase percentage (31.7%), according to Baseball Savant.
Over the years, Paddack has seen his arsenal diversify as he has developed more experience. Strictly a three-pitch hurler as a rookie (four-seamer, changeup and curveball), Paddack threw six different pitch types in 2025, including a slider, cutter and sinker.
"Having seen him back in his San Diego days, [he's] another one we think that Chris has been moving further away from some time off and some time missed, that there are ways that we can help Chris get back to the performer that he knows he's capable of, we believe that he's capable of," manager Clayton McCullough said. "Chris is going to be in our rotation to start the season, and to give us another member to lean on and someone that we think has has some real upside still to be captured."
After trading Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers from their starting depth over the offseason, the Marlins added insurance with the Paddack signing. Last year around this time, the Marlins did something similar by inking veteran righty Cal Quantrill. Miami used 15 different starting pitchers in 2025, although four of them served as openers.
"The Marlins were the first one [to reach out], and I thought that that was something special," said Paddack, who was intrigued by the organization's pitch design and development. "We hopped on a Zoom call with a lot of front office, a lot of the coaches, and they just kind of told me why they wanted me to be a part of the Marlins, where I kind of fit in, just a lot of the upgrades that they've made since my early days here, back in 2015."
Paddack is one of four Major League free-agent signings for the Marlins since the 2025 season ended. They also King on Thursday, late-inning reliever Pete Fairbanks and Christopher Morel, who will be tasked with learning first base.
"He brings somebody who has a lot of weapons, threw a lot of innings last year," president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said. "We think there's room for him to still continue to get better, and to go out there, take the ball every fifth day, and just give us some level of consistency, veteran presence, but somebody who we think we can really get a lot more out of him as well."