Yankees may sign star free agent who already knows what it's like to pitch in pinstripes

The New York Yankees are always expected to be a factor in free agency.

This offseason, though, the Yanks already have a surplus of hitters. They probably don't need a bat. So if the money is being shelled out, it might make sense to use it on starting pitcher.

Fittingly, there's a player available who is well-known to the Yankees: Michael King.

The Yanks traded King away in 2023 as part of the deal for Juan Soto. He spent the past few seasons with the San Diego Padres, but doesn't seem likely to re-sign there this offseason.

MLB.com's Will Leitch thinks a Yankees reunion with King could make a lot of sense.

"Look, if you get a chance to trade for Juan Soto, you have to do it, even if there’s a possibility (and it turned out to be an inevitability) that he might leave at the end of the season," Leitch wrote. "You can’t blame the Yankees for putting King in their Soto package two years ago, but it still had to be frustrating to see him go from a solid pitcher in the Bronx to essentially an ace in San Diego. The Yanks, who could use starting pitching (like everybody else, of course), have a chance to bring King back, and they could certainly use him. Even better: If they sign him, we can all feel reasonably certain they will not trade him for Soto again."

King has battled injuries in recent years, so he's not a 100% sure thing. 

But when King has been on the mound for the Padres, his stuff has been as filthy as ever, from his hard, tailing fastball to his sweeping breaking ball.

The Yankees are hoping to have Gerrit Cole back early in the 2026 season, and Max Fried is around for the long haul.

New York has other good pitching talents, too, but King would be a sure thing. And he'd know all about what it's like to play in pinstripes.

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