The Toronto Blue Jays are going to look different next season than the squad that failed to return to the playoffs and defend their American League Championship from last fall.
They’ve already declined outfielder Myles Straw and are resetting their 40-man roster through multiple 60-day injured list reinstatements. Additionally, the front office will be different after Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development David Bell stepped down from his role.
Additionally, veteran relievers Yimi García and Max Scherzer, alongside starter Shane Bieber, are entering free agency.
Could the Blue Jays be looking toward a notable $22 million starter who is also now a free agent? According to one notable MLB analyst, it would be a perfect match.
Toronto Blue Jays Named “Perfect” Landing Spot For $22 Million Starter Michael King
Recently, right-handed starting pitcher Michael King, who played this season with the San Diego Padres, declined his player option for 2027, making him a free agent.
According to Sports Illustrated MLB Insider Scott Roche, the Blue Jays are a “perfect” landing spot for him.
“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 Has Been Linked To The Toronto Blue Jays
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.
Blue Jays Named “Perfect” Landing Spot For $22 Million Starter