The excitement surrounding the Boston Red Sox appeared unlikely to be connected to a starting pitcher earlier this week.
After missing out on marquee players Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso in free agency, many assumed the next step for the Red Sox would be to acquire a powerful hitter. Yet, reports emerged on Sunday indicating that Boston is pursuing San Diego Padres free-agent starter Michael King, a native of Rhode Island who once took the mound for Boston College.
Following a report by Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe stating that the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees were also interested contenders for King, speculation grew that he might be making a decision soon. Another question on many minds was why Boston would pursue this route, given that it had already traded for two starters this offseason.
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Current Situation with Michael King
Chris Cotillo of MassLive shared an intriguing update regarding the situation on Sunday evening.
Cotillo reported that King is especially keen on playing in Boston, close to his hometown, but there’s no fixed deadline for a decision.
“The Red Sox are among several teams still in negotiations with righty Michael King, a source confirmed on Sunday, but there is not yet a timeframe for his decision,” Cotillo stated. “King, who previously attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island and pitched at Boston College, has numerous options and is evaluating them. One source remarked that King would ‘love to be in Boston,’ though the match must align in terms of contract length and salary.”
On the flip side, Cotillo seemed to suggest that Boston might not be inclined to meet every offer for King.
“The Red Sox have already brought in Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo to their rotation this winter, which likely means they aren’t in a rush to adding more pitchers,” Cotillo noted. “Acquiring someone like King would be more feasible if he agreed to a hometown discount, although there are expected to be strong, multi-year offers for his services from various teams due to the level of interest.”
As reported by Tim Britton from The Athletic, King’s projected market value is around three years, $75 million. What offers are being discussed behind the scenes remains uncertain. Additionally, signing King would mean Boston would lose its first-round pick, as he declined the qualifying offer.
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