The Yankees are facing a rotation crisis heading into 2025, with Gerrit Cole, Clark Schmidt, and Carlos Rodon all unlikely to be ready for opening day. That’s put finding quality starting pitching at the top of their offseason priorities.
One potential solution? A reunion with Michael King, the pitcher they traded away to help land Juan Soto.
It’s one of those baseball ironies that writes itself. The Yankees moved King as part of the package to acquire Soto, and now they might use some of that Juan Soto money they didn’t spend to bring him back.
Fansided’s Rucker Haringey floated this scenario, noting that King still has plenty of fans in the Yankees front office.
“Michael King has a lot of fans in the front office and would give New York another pitcher who could start a meaningful playoff game…Signing King looks like the most appetizing move for Cashman. He’ll be looking for a high salary, but he won’t command a lengthy deal. A three-year deal for something around $25 [million] per season would be good value for all parties.”
King dealt with some injury issues this past season but still managed a 5-3 record with a 3.44 ERA, striking out 76 batters with a 1.200 WHIP over 76 innings. When he’s healthy, he’s more than capable of holding down a rotation spot.
The Money Works Out
The financial piece makes sense too. Hal Steinbrenner has talked about wanting to lower payroll, but they’ve got flexibility with the Soto money they didn’t spend. A three-year deal around $75 million total wouldn’t break the bank.
What makes this reunion appealing is King’s familiarity with the organization and his ability to step into meaningful games. Pairing him with Max Fried and giving them depth behind Cole when he returns could stabilize things.
The Yankees better move quickly though. Other contenders are going to be circling King’s camp, and quality starting pitching doesn’t stay available long in this market.
Sometimes the best moves are the ones that bring you back to where you started.
