The Boston Red Sox have been a top suitor for Michael King for most of this offseason, as he fits the criteria of their need for a No. 2 pitcher, and he went to college in Boston. Now, it’s time for a decision.
According to Pete Abraham, while it may not be necessarily soon, King is likely closing in on a decision of which team he will make a deal with. Currently, the Sox and two division rivals, the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, are all top suitors for him.
If the Sox want to try and compete for King, here are three possible contracts they can offer the righty ace.
Give King what He’s Projected
Per Spotrac, King is projected to receive a four-year, $91 million deal. While this seems like an easy choice to make, Boston has made it clear they don’t believe in long-term deals for players over 30. King will be 31 in 2026, so they may be unlikely to give him this, on top of the fact that they still need to find a bat or two, which will cost them money there as well.
Give King a One-Year “Prove It” Deal
Basically, what they gave to Walker Buehler, and do the same for King. Since he had injury problems last season, giving him one year to prove he can go back to being healthy and a stud, and if that happens, offer an extension for the rest of what he was projected to do. This seems like what the Red Sox would do, but there’s also one more option.
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Give King a Shorter Deal with Options
For this, the Sox would do what they did with Alonso: a shorter deal with an option, or options. They reportedly offered Alonso three years, with an option for a fourth, so they could do the same for King. This is also as plausible as the prove it deal, but with how the Sox want to spend their money, it may be more unlikely.
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