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51 minutes ago
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Juan Soto was everything the New York Yankees hoped he would be. He stabilized the lineup, delivered MVP-level stretches, and changed how pitchers attacked the entire roster. The Yankees would make that trade again without thinking twice.
But as Soto became a star in the Bronx, Michael King blossomed in San Diego.
He turned into a front-end starter, the kind of arm the Yankees could use with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon expected to miss the beginning of the 2026 season and Clarke Schmidt out for the year.
A reunion with King is not just a way to repair the one part of the Soto blockbuster that still lingers, but it also makes a lot of sense.
The Yankees paid a real price for Soto, and they knew it. King was a valuable, ascending arm when he left New York, but the Yankees viewed him as a swingman, not a rotation anchor. The calculation was simple: you give up whatever it takes to land a generational bat.
The complication is what happened next.
King added innings, sharpened his sweeper, and evolved into a strikeout-heavy starter who carried long stretches for the Padres. As he rose, the Yankees’ depth thinned. Losing him didn’t undo the Soto trade, but it did expose the rotation in ways the front office didn’t expect.
He logged starter’s innings, missed bats at elite rates, and showed the command and sequencing of a legitimate No. 2. His sweeper became one of the most effective pitches in the National League. His profile looks like exactly what the Yankees now need: power, deception, and reliability.
King blossomed just as the Yankees’ rotation took its biggest hit in years.
The free-agent market is top-heavy and expensive, and the trade market for controllable arms is never cheap.
King is an impact starter without a decade-long commitment. He understands the ballpark, is loved by the clubhouse and the staff, and he has handled the expectations.
And most importantly, he would plug the hole created by the Soto trade better than anyone else available.
He doesn't come without risk. King has a history of injuries, which the Yankees know well. He also turned down a qualified offer, so he would cost a potential draft pick.
The Yankees need innings. They need swing-and-miss. They need stability. King offers all three, without the cost in prospects or payroll inflexibility.
The Yankees don’t regret trading for Soto. They shouldn’t. But the fallout is still here, sitting at the top of their offseason priorities. Fixing it might be as simple as bringing back the pitcher they once sent away.
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