The Baltimore Orioles stunned the MLB when they signed five-time All-Star slugger Pete Alonso to a five-year deal. Now, after improving their offense, they should consider adding someone to enhance their starting rotation.
According to Just Baseball’s Ethan Hyatt, the O's should take a look at former Cy Young candidate, San Diego Padres ace Michael King.
“They’ve made these moves to bolster their lineup, but their rotation still needs some help. The Orioles were already a man down in 2025 because of Rodriguez’s rehab from an elbow injury, but now they’ll be without his services entirely. Michael King is one of the highest upside arms in free agency. He just has to stay healthy…The Baltimore Orioles would be much stronger and more feared in the AL East with the addition of a strong starter like Michael King, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make more moves sooner than later,” Hyatt wrote.
This past season, King dealt with injuries, but still managed to post a 5-3 record, a 3.44 ERA, 76 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.20 over 73 innings pitched. However, the year before, when he was fully healthy, he posted a 13-9 record, an ERA of 2.95, 201 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.192 over 173 innings, and was a Cy Young candidate.
With this in mind, King could easily become the No. 2 option for the O’s, sliding in perfectly behind Trevor Rogers. They’d have a powerful 1-2 punch, and paired with the new and improved offense, Baltimore would be feared.
Hopefully, Baltimore starts negotiations soon, as they aren’t the only team interested in King. If they want him, they need to act fast.
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