Former MLB GM hints Yankees could reunite with player traded for Juan Soto

Former MLB GM hints Yankees could reunite with player traded for Juan Soto originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Yankees are no strangers to aggressive moves, and one of the more aggressive in recent years was their trade with the San Diego Padres to acquire Juan Soto.

It wasn’t a cheap trade, but the Yankees got to the World Series and saw Soto put up incredible numbers in a Yankees uniform. While he left in free agency to join the New York Mets, he’s not the only player from this trade to hit the open market.

As Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports, the Yankees are a very real possible landing spot for a former pitcher they traded to the Padres as part of the Soto package. After two seasons in San Diego, Michael King could return to New York this offseason.

Yankees could reunite with Michael King two years after Juan Soto trade

“It sounds like a reunion with former Yankees starter Michael King,” Bowden writes, “who was traded in the Juan Soto swap, is a real possibility.”

Re-acquiring King would be a nice pickup for the Yankees. The now 30-year-old pitcher is coming off back-to-back seasons as a full-time starter for the Padres.

New York could use a new starting pitcher this winter, as the combination of Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and others didn’t get it done in the playoffs.

King would be a nice addition to the rotation, though his injury-plagued 2025 season does give some pause for a reunion. He pitched in only 15 games, with a 3.44 ERA and a 5-3 record for the Padres.

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However, his 2024 season would be reason enough for the Yankees to take a chance on King as a full-time starter back in New York. He had a 2.95 ERA across 31 appearances and 30 starts, with a 13-9 record and 201 strikeouts in 173.2 innings pitched.

But, even with his rough 2025 season, he had a complete game shutout and was a huge piece of the Padres’ rotation before he got hurt. If he can get healthy for his new team, the Yankees should be interested in a reunion.

King won’t top the starting pitching market this winter, allowing the Yankees to spend elsewhere. He’d be a nice addition to the Yankees’ rotation, and one that wouldn’t be too expensive at that.

Bowden’s report makes it seem like the Yankees have a strong chance to sign him, which would be a smart addition to the team. Originally part of the Soto blockbuster, King could return to where he began his MLB career just two years after being traded away.