Ex-Yankees pitcher Michael King is not happy over the decision to ship him out of New York, and he doesn’t hold back. Following his trade to San Diego in exchange for Juan Soto, the former Yankee right-hander is adamant that the Padres emerged victorious in the deal. While acknowledging Soto’s exceptional talent, King paints a vivid picture of San Diego’s ascent, fueled by a roster bursting with promising young players.
From his vantage point in sunny San Diego, the ex-Yankees pitcher exudes confidence. He commends Padres GM A.J. Preller’s audacity and anticipates significant contributions from the newly acquired players, not just in the upcoming 2024 season but for years to come. The prospect of teaming up with Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, and the promising Drew Thorpe (whom King believes is poised for stardom) adds to his enthusiasm.
“I continue to praise [Padres general manager] A.J. Preller and be confident in saying I feel like the Padres won the trade,’’ King told the Post. “I feel like the talent we’ve gotten, I was shocked to see the Yankees part with that many people. Obviously, it’s Juan Soto, so you have to give up a big package, but I was pumped to see who was coming with me to San Diego. I know they’re gonna contribute this year and for years to come.”
Michael King takes a swipe at Yankees
However, the Yankees paid a steep price for acquiring Soto, bidding farewell to King, catcher Kyle Higashioka, and a substantial portion of their pitching depth. This move is questioned by many, especially given the Yankees’ already shaky pitching situation, turning it into a risky gamble.
King remains undaunted by the skeptics. He sees this as an opportunity. Envisioning a full-time starting role with the Padres, he is eager to showcase his skills, citing his improved four-pitch repertoire and impressive ERAs of 2.29 in 2022 and 2.75 in 2023. The Padres, he asserts, have faith in him, and he is determined to repay that trust with grit and determination.
Despite concerns about durability, given his highest workload since his minor league days in 2018, King remains optimistic. If he hits his stride, a potential May showdown against the Yankees could become a thrilling clash of titans. King already imagines the dynamic Soto-Judge duo wreaking havoc in the Bronx, but he firmly believes that the Padres are constructing a formidable force of their own.
In the intricate game of baseball, the Soto trade has injected an exciting element of uncertainty into the league. Will the Yankees prosper from their bold move, or will the Padres, fueled by King’s unwavering belief and an influx of young talent, reshape the narrative? Only time will reveal the true winner, but one thing is certain: the 2024 season promises to be a suspenseful and captivating experience.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
King is absolutely right! Nitwit Cashman made a panic moves after being vilified in the press for his Hideous trades & god-awful roster construction the past decade or more.
San Diego was DESPERATE to unload salary. They tried & FAILED to get a $100 Million bank loan. That would have told someone With More Brains that Cashman that the Yankees had SD by the baseballs, NOT the reverse.
But, as usual, Cashman got taken on the deal, just as he got taken on the Donaldson, Gallo, and Montas deals. And, NO, it doesn’t matter that the big package they gave up for Montas hasn’t borne fruits for the A’s because, at that time, those prospects were Highly Valued by other teams, so they could have actually been traded for someone better than Montas.
Note: If you think Montas was good, check out his ERA Away from the grand cannon that is the Oakland Coliseum; it was Hideous! It was 5.60 at the time of the trade, and even that was deflated because he had a SUB 1 ERA against weak-hitting teams like KC.
If Cashman had any brains whatsoever as a negotiator, he could have told SD, you can have King & two low-level prospects, and we’ll take on the contract of Crenworth. That’s it. Nothing more! Then they could have traded Torres for some additional pitching.
But Cashman was Too Dumb to come up with a proposal, and Too Stupid to realize HE had SD by the baseballs in that deal. And he was Humiliated by all the negative stories about his GROSS Incompetence as a GM.
Now he’s desperately hoping that the Yankees make it to the WS, so he doesn’t once again look like the Fool on the Hill.
ive been watching comments since last spring.i agree with most of them. but cant figure out why anyone would want to trade gleyber torres—.soto– compare their stats .great to have them both. i hope juan has a great year . last year about 10 homers apart. close on the rest.hope stanton,rizzo,dj, are healthy. the judge is the judge. just pray for the pitchers .