Michael King Reportedly Interested In Red Sox, Two Other AL East Teams

It sure seems like Michael King is ticketed for a return to the East Coast.

The veteran pitcher is one of the more intriguing upper-tier arms still available in free agency. He hits the market after two years in the San Diego Padres rotation. He went 18-12 with a 3.10 ERA across 46 appearances (45 starts) for the Friars, who landed the Boston College product in the Juan Soto trade.

The Red Sox have not made it a secret that they’re eyeing high-end arms, and have been linked to King plenty throughout the offseason, especially of late.

But it’s not too far-fetched to say the Red Sox are up against the rest of the American League East for King’s services.

“Free agent righthander Michael King has the Red Sox, Yankees, and Orioles among the teams he is considering, a major league source told the Globe on Sunday,” The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham reported in a piece published Sunday.

The Yankees have been quiet so far this offseason, but often get into the mix with top starters. King obviously has plenty of familiarity with The Bronx, but whether that helps or hurts the Yankees’ pursuit remains to be seen.

Baltimore clearly believes this past season was an aberration, as evidenced by the investment in Pete Alonso. That’s great, but the rotation at present is best described as chock full of hugely tumultuous veterans along with young-ish starters not too far removed from major surgery. King would immediately slot atop the rotation.

Assuming it’s a multi-year deal, adding King would give the Red Sox a steady No. 2 behind Garrett Crochet for years to come. Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello slotting into the Nos. 3 and 4 spots would put them in roles they are vastly more than qualified for — a situation any team would dream of.