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Miles Mikolas leaves St. Louis this winter much the same way he spent his final season there, quietly grinding through innings while the franchise reshaped around him.
His three-year, $55.75 million extension officially expired at the end of 2025, drawing a curtain on the second and most stable stretch of his MLB career.
In 2025, Mikolas made 31 starts and threw 156.1 innings, finishing with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. The strikeouts were modest, the home runs were a problem, 29 on the year.
He heads into free agency with a resume that checks the experience boxes with two All-Star selections, a World Series pedigree, and 200-inning seasons in the past, but the market will treat him like what he is today: a back-of-the-rotation stabilizer, not a centerpiece.
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The expectation around the league is a short deal in the 5-to-8 million dollar range, possibly stacked with incentives if a club wants to squeeze upside without commitment.
For Mikolas, there will be interest. There will also be clean fits, so here are three places where the fit feels less like guesswork and more like inevitability.
1. Chicago White Sox
Chicago’s pitching staff needs volume more than projection right now. The White Sox are early in a rebuild, light on proven starters, and heavy on young arms who shouldn’t be asked to throw 160 innings without supervision.
Mikolas gives them a legit 4th or 5th starter who pounds the strike zone, won’t clog the development path, and if things break right, turns into a trade conversation by July.
2. Colorado Rockies
Coors Field buries a lot of pitchers, but the Rockies need arms who can take the ball without wilting under long schedules.
Mikolas’ pitch-to-contact style isn’t a dream fit for altitude, but his walk rate and ability to work at his own pace make him the kind of inexpensive innings-soaker Colorado routinely takes a shot on. If the ball flies too often, the contract won’t. Short term, low risk, no mystery.
3. Miami Marlins
Miami just played a season close enough to .500 to think about roster balance instead of teardown mechanics. Their park rewards run suppression, and their staff leans on a few volatile arms behind Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera.
Mikolas fits as a swing-through-summer starter who stabilizes their week, accepts his role, and gives the bullpen a breath every fifth day. Contend, or pivot, either script works for Miami.
