Late Thursday evening, Mark Feinsand of MLB Network reported that free agent pitcher Michael King had agreed to phrases on a three-year deal price $75 million to return to San Diego, preserving him with the Padres via the top of his age 33 season.
On Sunday, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo shared a observe on King, linking the righty to Boston:
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“The Red Sox are among a number of teams still involved in talks with righty Michael King, a source confirmed Sunday, though there is no set timeframe for King’s decision. King, who attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island and pitched at Boston College, has a crowded market and is sifting through possibilities. According to one source, King would ‘love to be in Boston’ but as always, it’s a matter of terms and dollars lining up.”
So as we head into one more weekend of the recent range season, one other goal of Boston’s offseason is formally off the board.
Despite lacking time due to harm in 2025, King was nonetheless efficient when he took the mound. Across 73 innings, he completed with a 5-3 document, a 3.44 ERA, 76 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP. If he’s in a position to return at full power, he profiles as a legit No. 2 starter in a big-league rotation – which might have instantly made the acquisitions of Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo a lot extra intriguing forward of subsequent season.
As Cotillo famous, although, the hurdle with King was at all times going to be what that compensation regarded like. And whereas King inevitably didn’t command a long-term deal, $25 million a yr over the subsequent three years was in all probability a bridge too far for Boston – who has already leaked to the media that they have been, basically, finished investing huge {dollars} on arms this offseason.
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Thursday evening’s report on King all however confirms that this piece of reporting is, certainly, factual.
Unfortunately for Boston, the contract size for King is unquestionably proper within the vary through which this staff seemingly likes. Alex Bregman’s big-money-short-term deal from final offseason was a three-year deal, and the Red Sox reportedly provided Pete Alonso an embarrassing three-year deal worth $85 million.
Sep 27, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres beginning pitcher Michael King (34) delivers in the course of the first inning towards the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. (Denis Poroy/Imagn Images)
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But with Boston reportedly unwilling to spend into the CBT this offseason, any consternation from the Red Sox on the contract entrance ought to come as no shock.
King was seemingly content material taking a wager on himself for an excellent larger pay day after the 2028 season. The Red Sox have been unwilling to give him the chance to take that wager along with his hometown staff.
At some level, the Red Sox might acknowledge how uncommon this chance was for them, and it’ll in all probability be when King is pitching properly for the Padres in postseason play over the subsequent few years.
A high-end starter who needs to be in Boston doesn’t come round typically. Meeting King’s calls for would have allowed the entrance workplace to shift its full consideration towards upgrading the offense, moderately than persevering with to circle again to the identical unresolved pitching query.
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And whereas Boston has finished a lot to bolster their employees in the previous couple of weeks, King would have actually been the capper on reshaping a employees in determined want of depth after working out of steam within the Wild Card Round against the Yankees in October.
Instead, the quick cash for King stays out west, and the Red Sox forge forward as the only team in the American League not to signal a free agent but this offseason.
They are joined by the Rockies as the one different staff throughout baseball not to have signed somebody on the free agent market to date.
A chilly winter in Boston continues.
Jun 29, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; San Diego Padres beginning pitcher Michael King (34) pitches in the course of the first inning towards the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. (Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images)
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground protection of all issues Boston sports activities. He’s a senior digital content material producer for WEEI.com, and a local of Lincoln, RI.