Offseason acquisition Michael King has big plans for his first season with the San Diego Padres. The former New York Yankee was traded to the Padres alongside Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez, Jhony Brito, and Kyle Higashioka in exchange for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham.
Now with the Padres, King is looking to continue improving as a starting pitcher. With the Yankees in 2023, King got to earn more starting opportunities due to injuries, and posted a 2.75 ERA. In 2024, he has the chance to begin the season as the No. 3 starter in the rotation, and is planning to capitalize for the Padres.
“I keep telling [pitching coach] Ruben (Niebla) whenever he says like 150 to 180, I’m like ‘Nope, 180 to 200 (innings pitched this season),’” King said. “I think the most value that a starter brings is innings. Especially as a guy like me. Obviously, I want to be a top-end starter. But right now I’m behind (Yu) Darvish and (Joe) Musgrove. So my role here is to make sure that I’m providing enough innings for this team — whether it’s to help the bullpen or whatever — to be behind these guys, learn from these guys and eventually hope to be one of those guys. But for now, it’s like if a No. 3 starter can give you 180 innings, I think you’re in a pretty good spot as a team."
It's clear that King is looking to maximize this opportunity and his contributions to the team in 2024. On a Padres squad that does not have the same amount of depth as other pitching rotations, King really has the chance to separate himself as one of their best pitchers, especially if he builds off what he did in 2023.
He also wants to make sure he's doing his job in a rotation that could feature very young players behind him.
E"specially with how our fourth or fifth job could be a really young guy. You don’t know what you’re gonna get out of them. So if I can get that consistency — six innings every time out — I’d be very happy."
Assuming health is on his side, King appears locked into the Padres' No. 3 spot in the rotation entering the 2024 season.
In his Cactus League debut on Monday, he threw two scoreless innings with one strikeout.
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