1:11 PM: Right-handed Michael King has narrowed its search for a new team to three options, according to a report from Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Those teams are the Red Sox, Yankees and Orioles. Additional, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the Rhode Island native and Boston College alum has done just that “strong interest” when playing for Boston. Abraham notes that King wants to make a decision about his destiny soon.
King, 30, has been one of the most sought-after starters in the league this winter. He’s been linked to the Mets, Cubs, Tigers, Marlins, Angels and Blue Jays, in addition to the three apparent finalists for his services, and it’s not hard to see why the right-hander would generate such widespread interest. The 30-year-old showed significant upside during his 2024 season with the Padres, as he pitched to a 2.95 ERA in 173 2/3 innings of work with an FIP of 3.33 and a strikeout rate of 27.7%. That was a strong enough performance to earn him a seventh-place finish at the NL Cy Young awards that year, his first as a full-time starter.
The right-hander was seemingly in line for a huge payday heading into his 2025 platform season, but injuries complicated matters this past year. King was limited to just 15 starts due to a nerve problem in his shoulder (as well as a less serious knee injury late in the year), and while he dominated with a 2.59 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and a 28.4% strikeout rate in ten appearances prior to the shoulder injury, he didn’t quite look the same after his return with a 6.11 ERA and a 14.5% strikeout rate and a 10.8% walk rate. all over his body. last five appearances in the regular season.
King moved to the bullpen for San Diego’s Wild Card series against the Cubs and looked more like himself as he struck out 19 pitches in a scoreless inning of work, but heading into the offseason his second-half struggles and significant injury woes raised concerns as he entered free agency. He received a qualifying offer from the Padres, a positive sign that the club did not find King’s injuries too concerning for the 2026 season, and turned it down to pursue a multi-year pact in free agency.
Looking at the three teams still in the running for King’s services, the Orioles stand out as the team with the greatest need in their rotation. The club is coming off a very disappointing 2025 campaign, in which their decision to eschew high-end weapons in free agency came back to bite them as the dice continued to roll Charlie Morton And Tomoyuki Sugano failed to bear fruit Zach Eflin took a big step back from his previous work with the Rays. While Kyle Bradish And Trevor Rogers could plausibly form an exciting front-of-the-rotation duo for the Orioles next year. Adding at least one proven, playoff-caliber starter to the mix was the team’s clear priority this winter.
King would certainly fit that mold if healthy, and could likely do so without breaking the bank and requiring Baltimore to sign him to a second nine-figure contract this winter after they signed. Pete Alonso last week. MLBTR predicted King would land a four-year, $80 million contract as the #14 ranked free agent this offseason. Of course, with top-of-the-rotation upside and an expected contract price tag and duration lower than that of a typical front-end starter, there’s plenty of room for a more opportunistic team to get involved.
That’s probably where the Red Sox come into the picture, considering Boston is incredibly deep in pitching talent. Garrett hook leads a rotation that also appears in numbers Son Gray And Brayan Bello at the front, with players like Johan Oviedo, Patrick SandovalAnd Connelly asked in the mix for the final spots as things stand now. Cuts Crawford, Payton Tolle, Kyle HarrisonAnd Hunter Dobbins are among the pitchers who will serve as depth for the Red Sox this year, an embarrassment of riches that makes adding a starter in free agency more of a luxury than a necessity.
However, it would still make sense to get King on a deal that the Red Sox consider good value, as it could give them the freedom to more fully explore trades involving some of their young pitching talent. Boston is already connected to it Kettle Marte, Willson ContrerasAnd Isaac Paredes on the free agent market as they look for help on offense this winter, and perhaps signing King and trading up on their pitching depth to land one of those big names could be more attractive as an option than taking a swing at one of the big bats still available in free agency.
As for the Yankees, a reunion with the team King spent the first five years of his MLB career splitting the difference between the extremes that Baltimore and Boston represent. New York doesn’t have a pressing need for a top player Max Fried already in place and Gerrit Kool expect to return from Tommy John surgery sometime next year, but their rotation could certainly use additional depth. Cabbage and Carlos Rodon neither is expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign Clarke Schmidt figures that will miss most, if not all, of the year.
That leaves the Yankees with an opening day rotation of Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will WarrenAnd Allan Winans. Given Winans’ lack of MLB experience and Gil’s significant injury history, there is certainly room for another quality starter in the Yankees’ rotation mix, even if they don’t necessarily need someone with the same upside that King provides. Still, King was a popular player during his time in the Bronx and well-liked within the organization. Given the potential value of King’s contract and his previous connections to the club, it’s no surprise that New York would become involved in its market as they explore the offseason landscape for rotation help.
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