Yankees fans loved Michael King. The front office did too. But when Juan Soto in his prime was up for grabs, there was no time for second thoughts. So, King was sent to San Diego, and—surprise, surprise—he thrived. He put up a 2.95 ERA over a career-high 173.2 innings, striking out 10.42 batters per nine. A total win for the Padres.
But here’s where things get interesting. Empire Sports Media just dropped this nugget, saying:
“The Padres appear open to dealing with him, as they are reportedly listening to trade offers. Given King’s breakout season and the fact that he is still under team control, he immediately becomes one of the most attractive trade chips on the market.”
So, if you’re the Yankees, how do you not at least make the call? King was once a Yankee, a good soldier, and he’d be a seamless fit back in the rotation.
But while they’re at it… why not aim even higher?
The Yankees have been linked to Luis Arraez all offseason as ESM points out, and while Aaron Boone’s lackluster WFAN interview hinted at DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera splitting infield duties, the rumor mill keeps spinning. If San Diego is open for business, the Yankees could explore a deal that brings back King and lands them an elite contact hitter to balance out their lineup.Meanwhile, across town, the Mets have been relatively quiet after signing Soto—besides picking up the very chatty AJ Minter. Their rotation, though? A whole lot of uncertainty.
As BVM Sports points out:
“The Mets do not have a lot of proven commodities in their starting rotation. Sean Manaea will return after a career year and so will Kodai Senga after only making one start during the 2024 regular season. The hope is Frankie Montas can bounce back and David Peterson continues to excel, but neither pitcher is guaranteed to have success. King would be one of the most reliable pitchers in New York’s rotation and could be their ace by the end of the season.”
It makes perfect sense for the Mets to go after King—but are they actually in the mix? That’s still unclear.
Michael King is a hot commodity. The Yankees could try to bring him back. The Mets should make a move. And another team will eventually pounce.
Who’s going to step up? We’ll find out soon. Stay tuned.
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