Yankees Reunion With Right-Hander Called ‘Real Possibility’ By Insider
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King is on the shortlist of the MLB offseason’s most coveted free-agent starters, along with his teammate Dylan Cease, Houston Astros’ Framber Valdez, Philadelphia Phillies’ Ranger Suárez, Chicago Cubs’ Shota Imanaga, and Toronto Blue Jays’ Chris Bassitt. When it comes to King, new intel from The Athletic‘s Jim Bowden suggests that King could end up reuniting with his former team, the New York Yankees.
“It sounds like a reunion with former Yankees starter Michael King, who was traded in the Juan Soto swap, is a real possibility,” Bowden revealed.
King was 5-3 with an ERA of 3.44 and 76 strikeouts in 15 appearances for the Padres in 2025. Inflammation — first, in his throwing shoulder; later, in his knee — caused King to miss a ton of time last season. 2024 was a better indication of what he does with a full campaign’s workload. He made 30 starts in ’24, finishing 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA.
King spent the first five seasons of his MLB career with the Yankees. His numbers in pinstripes don’t stand out: 13-17 with an ERA of 3.38, 282 strikeouts and seven saves in 115 appearances. He famously came to manager Aaron Boone in Spring Training 2023 and suggested that he could be used as a starter. The Yankees used King as both a reliever and starter that season, and Boone planned on having King start full-time in 2024, but he was traded to San Diego in December of 2023.
The Yankees are familiar with the reliever-to-starter role switch, or vice versa, as in what New York did with Luke Weaver.
Weaver is probably on his way out of town this offseason, possibly to find a role as a starter again somewhere else. It would be ironic if the Yankees re-acquired King in the same winter that they lose Weaver.
Besides Bowden’s recent report, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch has previously indicated that there are voices within the Yankees’ organization that would welcome a King return.