Trading elite starters in Major League Baseball is never ideal, but the New York Yankees had to do what they had to do when they made a deal with the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto.
Soto was arguably the best hitter in Major League Baseball at the time, and given how young he was, trading Michael King made sense.
For the Padres now, however, it’s tough to say they might bring King back in free agency this winter. The right-hander is set to hit the free agency market, and considering he’s dealt with a few injuries, San Diego might want to part ways.
Would Yankees want to reunite with Michael King?
If the Padres want to, the Yankees could make sense as a landing spot, with Rucker Haringey of FanSided saying that he’s one of three players the Yankees should be “salivating over.”
“The Yankees have missed Michael King ever since he was sent to San Diego in the trade that brough Juan Soto to the Bronx. This offseason they will have a unique chance to bring him back into the fold with a good offer in free agency…
“The Yankees should know his body better than anyone since he grew up in their system. If they are comfortable with his health they should be at the front of the line to bring him back via free agency. They know he can handle the pressure of pitching in the Bronx which sets him apart from the competition,” he wrote.
MORE: Here’s how Padres’ Michael King plans to make up for long absence
A healthy King is one of the top starters in baseball.
Unfortunately, when returning from the IL earlier in the month, he dealt with another injury. He has a 2.81 ERA on the season and 65 strikeouts in 57.2 innings.
At the very least, a team should pay him because of that.