Following the conclusion of the 2026 MLB season, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King, who spent a portion of his career with the New York Yankees, declined his player option for 2027 and is becoming a free agent.
And while the Yankees have reportedly been paying attention to King as he enters free agency, another MLB Insider believes that he would be a perfect fit to return to the American League East Division – but not with New York.
MLB Insider Links Former New York Yankees Pitcher Michael King To The AL East Rival Toronto Blue Jays
According to Scott Roche of Sports Illustrated, King signing with the Toronto Blue Jays would make “perfect” sense.
“Last offseason, right-handed pitcher Michael King tested free agency and drew a lot of interest from American League clubs. The three names mentioned the most were the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox. A return to the Bronx seemed like a long shot. However, when the dust settled, he re-signed with the San Diego Padres, but he declined his option and is now available to sign anywhere.
He makes perfect sense for Toronto. He spent five seasons with the Yankees before going to the Padres in 2024, and he has been very good for San Diego. This past season, he went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 32 starts with a career-high 185 innings. He had 159 strikeouts and a 4.3 WAR.
Right now, the Blue Jays rotation could look like Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Jose Soriano, and Cody Ponce. Bringing in King, he would slot in at the top, either before or after Yesavage, for manager John Schneider. Toronto has maybe bigger issues to address, but you can never have enough starting pitching, especially in the AL East.”
This past season with the Padres, King went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP along with 159 strikeouts.
Michael King Previously Played For The Yankees
King was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 12th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. After reaching the Class A affiliate Greensboro Grasshoppers in his first season, he went 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA there in 2017.
The New York Yankees acquired King from Miami in November 2017. He climbed through three minor-league levels in 2018 before making his MLB debut for New York against the Texas Rangers in September 2019.
King broke out in 2021, posting a 3.55 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 63⅓ innings and throwing an immaculate inning against Boston. An elbow fracture limited him to 51⅓ innings in 2022.
He moved from the Yankees’ bullpen into their rotation in 2023, posting a 1.88 ERA as a starter. New York then traded him to San Diego in the Juan Soto deal.
King thrived as a Padres starter in 2024, going 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts. After injuries interrupted his 2025 season, he signed a three-year, $75 million extension.
He was dominant in the 2026 playoffs before declining his player option in late October.
Former Yankees Starter Predicted To Join AL East Rival