"He's arguably a top 10 pitcher in MLB when healthy but is coming off a platform season that was wrecked by a nerve injury in his throwing shoulder. He's also attached to draft compensation after rejecting a qualifying offer from the Padres. That hasn't deterred plenty of teams from expressing interest. King was already known to be a target for the Cubs, Tigers and Yankees, while even the Marlins checked in as a long shot suitor."
"King converted to the rotation late in the 2023 season as a member of the Yankees. He pitched well enough to stick as a starter after being traded to San Diego as the centerpiece of the Juan Soto deal. King finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting in 2024, pitching to a 2.95 ERA while striking out 201 batters over 31 appearances. He'd pitched even better over the first six weeks of the '25 campaign."
"Durability is the big question. The shoulder issue wasn't structural but proved a lot more problematic than initially expected. He wound up missing almost three months and showed signs of rust when he returned late in the season. King gave up 12 runs while tallying all of 17 1/3 innings over five starts in the second half. His velocity was fine but he only managed 12 strikeouts while issuing nine free passes."
Michael King projects as a high-upside starting pitcher capable of top-10 performance when healthy, but he returns from a nerve injury in his throwing shoulder. He rejected a qualifying offer from San Diego and carries draft compensation. Multiple teams including the Cubs, Tigers, Yankees, Mets, Orioles, Angels, Padres, Red Sox and Marlins have shown varying interest. He converted to the rotation in 2023, finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting in 2024 with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts over 31 appearances, and began 2025 with a 2.59 ERA across 10 starts. Durability concerns persist after missing almost three months and showing reduced strikeout and control late in the season.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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