Yankees Rumors: Reunion with top asset from Juan Soto trade on the table

The New York Yankees' trade for Juan Soto was unique for many reasons. Not only was it the second time in three years that a generational talent who was still in the arbitration process was moved, but the package it took to acquire him was night and day year over year. The San Diego Padres, even with trading Soto, were looking to contend, so rather than ask for a boatload of top prospects in return, they targeted controlled major league talent.

The headliner of that package, Michael King, had undergone a breakout in 2022, becoming a nasty multi-inning reliever, and in 2023 had taken it up a notch before morphing into a starter down the stretch.

Based on the nine starts he made over the stretch run, his 2.23 ERA in the rotation convinced the Padres he could help anchor the top of their rotation. Now, two years later, he's out on the free-agent market, and a return could be in the cards, according to Yankees insider Bryan Hoch.

The Yankees might be eyeing a reunion with Michael King to fortify the rotation

After King's first season in San Diego, when he posted a 2.95 ERA over 30 starts and 173 2/3 innings, any doubts about his validity as a starter seemed to settle. That led to rumors last spring that the Yankees would be giddy over reuniting, either in a trade to support the then-ailing rotation, or as an early preview of the club's preferred free-agent targets.

With Carlos Rodón's elbow surgery delaying the start of his 2026 season, the need for rotation fortification has only heightened since that early interest.

While King might seem like a perfect fit  — he's battle-tested in New York and had success as a full-time starter  — there are some questions.

King came up as a starting pitcher originally, but early struggles forced him to the bullpen. As a result, the 30-year-old only has two seasons in his career in which he was counted on to be a full-time starter.

As good as 2024 was, his 2025 showing is reason to have some reservations. The right-hander was great through May 18, making 10 starts with a 2.59 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and 10.3 K/9, but then was sidelined first with a nerve issue in his shoulder and then went down again with knee inflammation just two innings into his Aug. 9 return. In total, he missed roughly three-and-a-half months due to injury.

All told, he'd manage just 17 2/3 innings after May 18, with a 6.11 ERA and a 4:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio down the stretch.

The question of his health and durability will make him one of the more economical top-of-the-rotation options on the free-agent market. The Yankees already have so much fragility and uncertainty in their rotation, with questions surrounding when exactly Gerrit Cole will return and what he'll look like once he does, how long Rodón will be sidelined, as well as durability and other concerns with Luis Gil. One has to wonder if King really is the best option.

Adding the question mark of King's medical status to that group could be a recipe for disaster, no matter how intriguing and heartwarming a reunion might be.