A potential Yankees reunion with starter is a bold fix for the rotation

The New York Yankees know exactly what Michael King looks like at his best because they helped build him. After a frontline turn with San Diego in 2024 and an interrupted but effective 2025, King just declined a mutual option and hit the free market. 

If the goal is to buy impact without a nine-figure check, this is the reunion that makes sense for both sides, according to CBS’s Mike Axisa. 

The Yankees need a starter. 

Gerrit Cole missed all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery and is tracking for a return sometime after Opening Day 2026. Clarke Schmidt underwent an internal brace procedure in July and is aiming for the second half of 2026. Carlos Rodon had his elbow surgically cleaned out and is expected to miss Opening Day. Even with Max Fried, rookie sensation Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil,  that’s a lot of empty innings to bridge in the first half next year.

 A healthy King stabilizes the middle and gives Aaron Boone playoff-caliber length when the schedule crunch hits. 

 King broke out as a full-time starter with the Padres in 2024  after going back and forth between the rotation and bullpen with the Yankees. He had 201 strikeouts, a 2.85 starter ERA, and 173.2 innings. In 2025, he lost a chunk of the summer to a shoulder nerve issue but returned in August; he finished 5–3 with a 3.44 ERA across 15 games, with underlying whiff and walk numbers that resembled his pre-injury form. The diagnosis (pinched nerve, no structural damage) matters here—teams can price that risk differently than a labrum or rotator cuff repair. 

Because King is entering his age-31 season and missed time, he’s primed for a “short term, real AAV” deal to show he’s healthy and durable. A two-year deal with an opt-out or a one-plus-option structure that lets both sides win if he posts 150-plus innings is the target. The Padres hold the option to tag him with a qualifying offer, but even then, a reunion could play if the Yankees decide the draft-pick tax is worth the rotation certainty. 

King already knows the Bronx; he’s beloved in the clubhouse and among the staff. The Yankees are familiar with his routines and know how to space his workload. That is a comfort for a staff that has to sprint through April and May without its ace. And with David Bednar now pairing with the late-inning group, a sturdier rotation hand would keep the bullpen from overextending early.

The shoulder scare, the 2025 innings gap, and the possibility that someone values the 2024 strikeout ceiling enough to overpay on term are all red flags on this potential deal. The Padres putting a qualifying offer tag on King also makes this less attractive to the Yankes. 

New York needs a dependable top-four starter to survive the first half of 2026 and raise its playoff floor. King’s recent track record, age, and familiarity make the reunion a practical move. He has big-game stuff without a big-ticket commitment, when the Yankees need it most.