The New York Yankees made some big trades ahead of this season, but they pale in comparison to the blockbuster of the year before.
Heading into the 2024 campaign, the Yankees shocked the baseball world by landing superstar slugger Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres for a five-player package. And included in that package was right-handed reliever Michael King.
The Yankees enjoyed a stellar season from Soto after that trade. But now that King has established himself as one of the best starters in baseball, they’ve acknowledged the steep cost of acquiring him.
“King was long admired as a Yankee for being a topflight teammate and competitor and ‘it took a few extra days’ before the Soto trade was made ‘because we tried to keep King of out,’” as Aaron Boone told NorthJersey.com’s Pete Caldera.
King is in his final year of contract arbitration eligibility before he gets the chance to test free agency this coming winter. And as he has posted a 2.22 ERA with 48 strikeouts in his first eight starts, it looks like he’s headed for a blockbuster contract. ESPN’s Jeff Passan has identified him as a lock for $100 million or more.
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After facing King on Tuesday, the Yankees have raised some hope that they could reunite with the ace in the near future.
“Hopefully somewhere down the line we can reunite,” said Clarke Schmidt, after the game.
With a clear need for another frontline starter and the current roster’s admiration for King, that reunion might take place sooner rather than later.
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