NEW YORK —The man they traded away to get Juan Soto might be coming home. And it could not happen at a better time for a Yankees rotation that desperately needs reinforcements.
Brian Cashman has been busy. The Yankees general manager confirmed he already placed calls to free agent starter Michael King as part of his early offseason outreach. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported that King is among the pitchers Cashman has contacted ahead of next week’s Winter Meetings in Florida.
The move would bring back a pitcher who never wanted to leave in the first place. King spent five seasons in the Bronx before the Yankees shipped him to San Diego in December 2023. He went to the Padres as the centerpiece of the package that landed Soto and Trent Grisham.
That deal worked out for everyone involved. Soto helped the Yankees reach the 2024 World Series before signing a record $765 million contract with the Mets. King transformed from a bullpen arm into one of baseball’s best starters.
King flourished after leaving Yankees
The 30-year-old right-hander made the conversion look easy. In his first full season as a starter with San Diego in 2024, he posted a 2.95 ERA across 173.2 innings. He struck out 201 batters and finished seventh in National League Cy Young voting.
His 2025 season told a different story. A pinched thoracic nerve in his throwing shoulder sidelined him for more than three months. A knee injury followed during his rehab. He managed just 15 starts and 73.1 innings with a 3.44 ERA.
The injuries raised questions about his durability. Still, his combined numbers since leaving New York paint a picture of a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter. He owns a 3.10 ERA with 277 strikeouts in 46 appearances for the Padres.
King declined his $15 million mutual option with San Diego. He also turned down the team’s $22.025 million qualifying offer. He wants a multi-year deal on the open market.
Yankees rotation in crisis mode
The timing makes sense for both sides. Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2025 and missed the entire season. He will not be ready for Opening Day next year. Manager Aaron Boone expects him to return sometime during the 2026 campaign, but no firm date exists.
Carlos Rodon also needs offseason surgery on a bone spur in his pitching elbow. His 2026 debut will be delayed. The Yankees cannot count on having either veteran healthy when games start to matter.
That leaves Max Fried as the staff ace. Cam Schlittler emerged as a key piece after a dominant playoff performance. Luis Gil showed flashes after returning from his own injury. Will Warren provides depth. But questions remain throughout the group.
“As the Yankees prepare for next week’s Winter Meetings in Florida, some shopping is already done, with more to come,” Hoch wrote. “Though Cashman mentioned free-agent starter Michael King among the early calls he’s made, the primary focus appears to be in the bullpen.”
What King showed in pinstripes
Yankees fans remember what King did before he left. He served as a dominant multi-inning reliever from 2021 through mid-2023. Then injuries forced the team to try him as a starter down the stretch.
The experiment worked beyond anyone’s expectations. King made nine starts in 2023 and posted a 1.88 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 40.1 innings. He struck out 13 batters in one outing against Toronto. He became the second pitcher in Yankees history to record five saves and make five starts in the same season.
Those eight starts convinced Padres general manager A.J. Preller to demand King in any Soto deal. Cashman acknowledged at the time that he did not want to include the pitcher.
“We value Michael King a lot. He’s been a very good player for us,” Cashman said after completing the trade.
The price to bring him back
King will not come cheap. Projections have him landing a contract worth between $60 million and $84 million over three or four years. NBC Sports ranked him as the 14th-best free agent on the market.
His injury history in 2025 could work in the Yankees’ favor. Teams might hesitate to offer max dollars given the shoulder and knee concerns. A shorter deal with opt-outs could become the most likely structure.
The qualifying offer creates another wrinkle. Signing King would cost the Yankees a draft pick because he declined San Diego’s offer. The Padres would receive a compensatory selection.
New York has shown a willingness to forfeit picks for impact talent before. They did it repeatedly during their pursuit of top free agents. King represents exactly the kind of known commodity that could justify that cost.
Familiar face, different role
The pitcher returning to the Bronx would look nothing like the one who left. King evolved his approach in San Diego. He added a changeup and adjusted his pitch mix. His sinker and sweeper became dominant weapons.
He also embraced leadership during his time with the Padres. He referenced Yankees captain Aaron Judge when discussing his mindset earlier this season.
“I know Aaron Judge turned down an extension going into his last year,” King told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. “His whole thing was he was going to make the person next to him the best player that they could be. And all he was going to do was try to care about wins.”
Should the Yankees land King, their 2026 rotation would feature Fried, King, Schlittler, Gil, and Warren to start the season. Cole and Rodon would return when healthy. That group could rival any staff in baseball.
The Yankees matched Toronto for the American League’s best record at 94 wins in 2025. They fell to the Blue Jays in the postseason. Club officials believe the gap between them and the defending champion Dodgers is smaller than most think.
Bringing King back would signal that Cashman agrees. It would also correct what many saw as a necessary sacrifice to acquire Soto. The Yankees gave up King because they had to. Now they have a chance to get him back because they want to.
The Winter Meetings begin next week. Expect more conversations to follow. A reunion two years in the making could finally happen.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
As long as King is OK going to the pen in the post season, by all means, negotiate with him, and see if the numbers could work, in terms of both years and money.