The New York Yankees are trying to bolster an injured rotation this offseason, one that promises to be among the best in the league when everyone is healthy again (or so they hope). Having turned down his qualifying offer from the San Diego Padres, former Yankees pitcher Michael King could come home to New York, according to a recent prediction.

FanSided’s Chris Landers named the Yankees as King’s best landing place for 2026, citing the team’s current needs with injured pitchers, and King’s history with the organization.

“With Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt all set to start the 2026 season on the IL, New York needs to bolster its starting pitching depth,” Landers wrote. “But they also have bigger fish to fry, like, for example, assembling a new starting outfield. King has ace upside when he’s healthy, but his limited track record and recent injury concerns could keep him in New York’s price range.”

“Plus, King came up in the Yankees’ system — he was the centerpiece of the Juan Soto trade, remember — and could view a short-term stop in New York as the best way to rebuild his value and hit the market again after a strong season or two.”

What King Brings Back to the Yankees

King was expected to turn down the Padres’ $22 million qualifying offer ahead of the MLB 40-man roster deadline, being the fifth-best starter among The Athletic’s Top 50 free agents and the 12th-best free agent overall. King had the potential to be the top starter emerging from the free agent pool, if he had been healthy for all of 2025. King finished the 2025 regular season with a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts with 73 innings pitched.

King, who will turn 31 in May, made his MLB debut in pinstripes with a September 2019 call-up. After a strong performance in 2023 (the first season he was used as a starter), King was traded to the Padres where he played in 2024 and 2025. King is expected to earn a three-year, $75 million contract according to The Athletic’s Chad Jennings.

The Yankees are reportedly also interested in Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai, projected for an eight-year, $190 million contract according to The Athletic’s Tim Britton. Either pitcher would be joining a rotation including the three experienced but injured stars (likely in the summer), and would likely start in the spring with Cam Schlittler, Max Fried and Will Warren, with the possibility that Ryan Yarbrough could be used as a starter as well.

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