The top priority for the Red Sox at this stage of the offseason is adding offense — and the club remains active in free agent and trade pursuits to that end. That hasn’t stopped Boston from remaining in touch with at least one remaining top starting pitcher.
The Red Sox are among a number of teams still involved in talks with righty Michael King, a source confirmed Sunday, though there is no set timeframe for King’s decision. King, who attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island and pitched at Boston College, has a crowded market and is sifting through possibilities. According to one source, King would “love to be in Boston” but as always, it’s a matter of term and dollars lining up.
According to The Boston Globe, the Red Sox aren’t the only American League East team in on King, with the Orioles and Yankees (with whom he spent 2019-2023) also in the mix as well.
King, who moved to the rotation full-time with the Padres in a stellar 2024 season, logged a 3.44 ERA in 15 outings for San Diego last year in his second year with the club after being acquired as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster in December 2023. The 30-year-old (31 in May) dealt with a nerve injury in his shoulder and a knee issue that limited him to just 73 ⅓ innings in 2025. He has been linked to a wide range of teams, with the Mets among his interested suitors.
The Red Sox have already added Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo to their rotation this winter and therefore don’t seem to be forcing the issue when it comes to further rotation adds. An addition of someone like King would be more likely if he were to take some sort of hometown discount to pitch in Boston, though there will be strong, multi-year bids for his services from across the league considering the level of interest.
As Boston pursues bats, pitching is on the back burner, but chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has vowed to never stop looking for upgrades to his staff and is remaining engaged with available starters and relievers. One possibility on the relief market, according to a source, is a reunion with veteran Chris Martin, who plans to pitch in 2026 and turns 40 in June. Martin spent 2023 and 2024 with the Red Sox before making 49 appearances (2.98 ERA) for his hometown Rangers in 2025.