Marlins Reportedly Showing Interest in Padres Free Agent Veteran Pitcher
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The Miami Marlins are not wasting any time this offseason. So far, they've been exploring various options to bolster their roster ahead of their 2026 campaign, and it doesn't look like they are showing much hesitation.
Their latest interest involves free agent Michael King, who already has a bit of history with the Marlins. Could this interest turn into an opportunity?
Marlins Interested in King
Michael King is among several players who have entered free agency, and while there's a plethora of potential landing spots for the 30-year-old right-hander, Miami appears to be one of the more likely spots after Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic (subscription required) stated that the Marlins have spoken with him, expressing their interest. Additionally, it's reported that they are scoping out upgrades at first and third base during this offseason.
Pirates showing interest in Jorge Polanco, Ryan O’Hearn, Kazuma Okamoto.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) November 24, 2025
Marlins discussing Michael King and are active in the closer market while exploring 1B/3B upgrades.
Both teams are active in free agency, and some agents think it’s no coincidence with the CBA expiring…
The interesting part of this possibility is that the Marlins were the franchise to draft King out of Boston College. He was picked No. 353 overall in the 12th round back in 2016, but in November of 2017, he was traded to the New York Yankees for Garrett Cooper and Caleb Smith. he made his MLB debut with the Yankees on September 27, 2019.
After playing with New York for five seasons, they shipped him, along with four other players, to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Trent Grisham and Juan Soto in December of 2023. During his two years with the Padres, King recorded a 3.10 ERA across 247.0 innings pitched, with 277 strikeouts through 46 games and 45 starts.
Sources have told Rosenthal and Drellich that the Marlins' "sudden willingness" to spend boils down to opportunity and their "quest to build a perennial contender."
Miami is far from the top of Major League Baseball franchises in just about every regard, but a reunion with King wouldn't be a bad idea. However, he is not the only player that the franchise has reportedly expressed interest in as of late.
Last week, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required) shared that King is also on the Chicago Cubs' radar. As written by the pair, the Cubs are "viewing him as a starter with big upside when healthy."
No official moves have been made as of yet involving King at the time of this writing, but if he reunites with the Marlins, it could be beneficial for both parties in the long run.
