Orioles called a top landing spot for ex-Yankees pitcher

This former New York Yankees hurler could be the Baltimore Orioles' top free agency target.

May 2, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Michael King (34) has the ball tossed back to him after defeating the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles front office has made it clear that they're going to prioritize adding pitching this offseason, which is a clear need given how mediocre their pitching staff was (both the starting rotation and the bullpen) during the 2025 season.

“I would like a strong front half of the rotation guy to go with those if we can, and we'll be on the hunt for pitching improvements in that area and others,” President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias said during his postseason press conference with the media in early October, per an article from Roch Kubatko of MASN.

This would be to pair with southpaw Trevor Rogers, whose 9-3 record and 1.81 ERA in 18 starts would have put him in contention for the AL Cy Young award if he had pitched for more than the second half of the season. While there are several compelling pitchers on the free agency market, arguably the most appealing for Baltimore would be Michael King.

Sep 27, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) delivers during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

King spent the first five seasons of his career within the New York Yankees organization before he was dealt to the San Diego Padres as part of the deal that brought Juan Soto to the Bronx in December 2023.

Read more: Scout blames Gunnar Henderson's Orioles struggles on playing for 'bad team'

King thrived during his two seasons in San Diego, as he produced a 2.95 ERA over 173.2 innings pitched in 2024 and then followed that up with a 3.44 ERA in 2025, albeit in just 73.1 innings pitched because of a shoulder injury.

Orioles Seen as Potential Free Agency Destination for Michael King

In an October 16 article, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer asserted that Baltimore was King's No. 9 best landing spot, writing, "The Orioles' starting pitching probably wasn't as bad as you think this year, but it wasn't good either. It ranked 24th in ERA and only a touch better (i.e., 20th) in rWAR.

"Now the O's are staring down a winter in which they stand to lose Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano, all while there's tremendous pressure on the organization to do something to avenge a 2025 season gone awry," he added.

Michael King's Wicked Sinkers. 🤢

22" and 21" of run. pic.twitter.com/QQqzyE03pq

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 10, 2025

"Signing King would be quite [the] gamble to this extent, as the money he's likely to command is the kind that the O's don't throw around lightly. But since Eflin, Sugano and Gary Sánchez are taking roughly $40 million in salary off the club's books, it's at least an idea for the 'Stranger Things Have Happened' folder," he concluded.

The Orioles' front office will surely at least check in on King this winter. And perhaps they'll agree that he should be their top target.