The Baltimore Orioles made the biggest splash of the offseason so far by signing star first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal, but they’re not done yet. Right-handed pitcher Michael King wants to return to the AL East, and the Orioles are on his shortlist of choices, per The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham.
“Free agent righthander Michael King has narrowed his choices to the Orioles, [Boston] Red Sox, and [New York] Yankees, a major league source told the Globe on Sunday, and wants to make a decision soon,” he reported on Sunday.
Advertisement
King made his MLB debut for the Yankees in 2019 and was primarily a reliever for them through 2023 before they dealt him to the San Diego Padres as part of the Juan Soto trade. The Padres then converted the 30-year-old to a full-time starter, and he recorded a 2.95 and 3.44 ERA in each of the last two seasons, respectively.
Will Baltimore land King, or will he go to one of its division rivals?
Free-agent pitcher Michael King. © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Usually, big-market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox sign more notable free agents than mid-market squads like the Orioles. New York and Boston each are consistently in the playoffs and have won championships this century, while Baltimore hasn’t won a postseason game since 2012 or a title since 1983. It’s easier for winning organizations to convince free agents to sign with them, but the Orioles bucked that trend with the Alonso signing.
Advertisement
While Baltimore has had little playoff success recently, it does have a young core headlined by shortstop Gunnar Henderson, second baseman Jackson Holliday, catcher Adley Rutschman, and catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo. Henderson, a former All-Star and AL Rookie of the Year, has a career .831 OPS, while Holliday was the first overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. Additionally, Rutschman is a two-time All-Star and former All-MLB First Team selection, while the 21-year-old Basallo signed an eight-year, $67 million extension this past season, per Spotrac.
While the money and long-term security were undoubtedly important factors for Alonso, having a deep group of young talent helped the Orioles’ case. Now, they must hope that King also sees the vision, although his case presents a unique challenge.
The latter player came up through the Yankees’ farm system and spent several years with them, so that familiarity could give them an advantage in the sweepstakes. At the same time, Baltimore could bypass that factor by outbidding both New York and Boston.