By Shaun McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAfter rejecting the qualifying offer that the San Diego Padres extended him, 30-year-old hurler Michael King will test free agency this offseason.
The Padres acquired King in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, and he has excelled the past two seasons with the team. The 30-year-old was primarily used out of the bullpen by the Yankees in the first five seasons of his career, but has developed into a solid starter, posting a 3.10 ERA across the past two seasons with the Padres.
The Yankees will likely be looking to add a starting pitcher this offseason, especially with ace Gerrit Cole expected to start the season on the injured list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. MLB.com's Will Leitch pitched a reunion between King and the Yankees in a listing of potential free agent reunions he'd like to see this winter.
..."Look, if you get a chance to trade for Juan Soto, you have to do it, even if there’s a possibility (and it turned out to be an inevitability) that he might leave at the end of the season," Leitch wrote Saturday. "You can’t blame the Yankees for putting King in their Soto package two years ago, but it still had to be frustrating to see him go from a solid pitcher in the Bronx to essentially an ace in San Diego.
"The Yanks, who could use starting pitching (like everybody else, of course), have a chance to bring King back, and they could certainly use him. Even better: If they sign him, we can all feel reasonably certain they will not trade him for Soto again."
A reunion with the Yankees is a real possibility for King after declining his mutual option with the Padres. The Yankees could use some starting pitching depth, and with King's injury history and struggles, could sign the 30-year-old to a reasonable contract this offseason.
More MLB: Padres $187 Million Ace Projected To Sign Monster Free Agent Deal With Cubs
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