Welcome to the 2026-27 edition of Smash or Pass, in which we examine potential free agent and trade targets to determine whether the Red Sox should pursue them and what it would take to land them. Today, we continue the series with the prospect of bringing Michael King back to his home region.
Who is he, and where does he come from?
He’s Michael King and he’s local! The right-handed pitcher went to high school at Bishop Hendricken in Rhode Island and played his college ball at Chestnut Hill for the Boston College Eagles. The Marlins drafted him in 2016 before a trade to the Yankees where he spent his first five MLB seasons. The Padres acquired him in the monster return for Juan Soto. He excelled in San Diego with Cy Young votes in 2024 and a 3.15 ERA in three seasons for the Padres.
Still only entering his age-32 season with a career 3.23 ERA (1.86 ERA in 29 postseason innings), King has plenty left to give on the mound and will get a multi-year, high-AAV deal on the open market.
He’s not an ace but he’s a No. 2 nearly every team in baseball would feel great about. King continues to improve in stuff and durability – he logged a career-best 185 innings in 2026 in his age-31 season. His strikeout numbers took a step back last season (7.7 K/9), though his Baseball Savant page is still a thing of beauty – especially when it comes to limiting hard contact.
TLDR, just give me his 2026 stats
King went 12-10 in 32 starts with a 3.21 ERA for the Padres. He pitched 185 innings with a 1.178 WHIP and 159 strikeouts.
Would he be a good fit for the Red Sox?
He’d be a great Sonny Gray replacement to slot in behind Garrett Crochet and take pressure off of Payton Tolle to be the Scottie Pippen of the rotation at this point – even after a Rookie of the Year-caliber campaign for the lefty in 2026.
Crochet-King-Tolle-Suárez-Bello? Works for me.
Why wouldn’t he be a good fit for the Red Sox?
Is he really a necessity for the 2027 Red Sox? Not really.
The Red Sox clearly had offensive deficiencies last postseason (and honestly in 2025 too). Even with the Jake Bauers news (announced while writing this!), the lineup is clearly the priority of the winter. That’s obvious given how good the rotation was even without Crochet last year. Sonny Gray departs, but the group is certainly still a strength. King would make them better, but he probably shouldn’t be the priority for Boston’s resources.
What would it take to get him?
Keith Law of The Athletic speculated a multi-year deal in the ballpark of $30 million AAV. Gray is not returning on a $30 million option, so would the Red Sox really turn around and give that out on a multi-year deal for a 32-year-old pitcher? Seems unlikely.
Show me a cool highlight.
King has been a postseason demon – most recently flirting with a postseason no-hitter against the Cubs in the Wild Card round this year.
He also dominated the Braves with 12 strikeouts in the 2024 Wild Card round as well.
If the Red Sox still believe they have room to improve the offense in addition to adding King, then smash. Otherwise, the sacrifice to sign King is not worth the attention turn from the clear priority of making sure this lineup is finally October.
