It has not been the smoothest sailing for the New York Yankees after losing Juan Soto in free agency and Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery, but at 19-16, the folks in pinstripes once again reside atop the AL East. It's early in the season — and Boston stacks up awfully well on paper — but the Yankees continue to set the standard for the division.
With Cole's future more uncertain than ever, the Yankees are feeling the lack of depth in their rotation right now. Max Fried's arrival has gone swimmingly; he looks like a Cy Young candidate. That said, New York would benefit from adding another high-level arm to the mix to eat innings and insure against injuries.
How about Michael King?
The San Diego Padres ace and former Yankees swingman finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting last season — his first MLB campaign as a full-time starter. He's off to an even better start for the second-place Friars in 2025, logging a 2.09 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 46 strikeouts through 38.2 innings (seven starts).
He will be a highly sought-after free agent next winter. And yes, he's open to returning to the Bronx.
"I mean, of course [I'm open to the Yankees], once you get to free agency, that's what I'll start thinking about," King said. "I've got to focus on winning today ... hopefully by the end of it I can have all 30 teams calling me."
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Michael King opens the door wide for a free agency reunion with the Yankees
The Padres are scorching hot at 23-11. There was plenty of skepticism after an offseason of turmoil at the ownership level, but even with A.J. Preller more restricted than usual, the Padres effectively kept the core of their roster together. No team came closer to unseating the Dodgers in the playoffs last autumn, and it sure feels like San Diego is once again the most formidable non-L.A. contender in the National League.
We can point to the MVP-level output of Fernando Tatis Jr. and a potent collection of thumpers at the plate, but San Diego's secret sauce lies in the rotation. Dylan Cease hasn't even settled in yet, but the Padres' pitching staff remains one of MLB's most dominant: Nick Pivetta and King are leading the charge with sub-3.00 ERAs, while both King and Cease average more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.
King does not fit the dream profile of high-paid aces nowadays, but he's a dangerous sinkerballer with precise control, an 86th percentile punch-out rate, and plenty of variety to his arsenal. The Yankees never fully unleashed King in the starting rotation, which is probably one of Aaron Boone's biggest regrets of the last few years. New York may get a chance to right that wrong in 2026, however. Hal Steinbrenner is never short on cash to spend when the Yankees really need something.
A three-headed monster of Cole, Fried and King leading the Yankees rotation for the next half-decade would be truly special.