The only thing the Boston Red Sox have added to the major league roster so far this offseason is starting pitching, but is there still a need.

Weeks after trading for Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals and Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Red Sox are evidently locked in an American League East battle for another starter, who could in theory become the best of the bunch.

According to a Sunday report from Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox are competing with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles for the rights to sign San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King, a Boston-area product.

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What would King signing mean?

“Sources: Red Sox, Yankees, and Orioles are competing for Michael King and the RHP from (Boston College) hopes to make a decision soon,” Abraham wrote on Bluesky.

“King, 30, was 18-12, 3.10 for the Padres the last two seasons. Profiles as the No. 2 the Sox need. We’ll see if they step up. King certainly knows the terrain of the AL East.”

King grew up in Rhode Island and attended Bishop Hendricken in Warwick, the same high school that produced future Red Sox outfielder and big-league manager Rocco Baldelli. He was a 12th-round pick for the Miami Marlins after a standout three-year career at BC.

However, it would be a mistake to think the Red Sox have the heartstrings advantage, because King pitched for the Yankees for four-plus seasons before he was traded to the Padres in the blockbuster Juan Soto deal.

What’s interesting about the Red Sox’s King pursuit, if they actually manage to land him, is whether signing one more starter would be the confirmation Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow needs to trade one of the many exciting young arms in the organization, or perhaps even two, to go after a big bat (say, Ketel Marte).

If King’s decision does come soon, perhaps the dominoes will finally start falling for Boston, one direction or another.

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