Baltimore Orioles Should Still Pursue This NL West Rising Pitching Star

Here's why the Baltimore Orioles should pursue a rising star in the NL West that just signed a new contract.

Oct 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King (34) throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have had a busy offseason, but with spring rraining just a couple of weeks away, there is still reason to have some concerns about the team.

It was another successful regular season for the Orioles in 2024. They were able to win over 90 games for the second year in a row and made the postseason.

However, their postseason struggles continued, marking the second straight year that they couldn’t win a playoff game.

This offseason, Baltimore knew that they could lose a couple of their key players from the 2024 campaign. Both pitcher Corbin Burnes and outfielder Anthony Santander were free agents. As their best pitcher and best home run hitter, both being free agents wasn’t ideal.

What ended up being even less ideal was that they saw both leave in free agency this winter.

While the Orioles seemingly had a plan in place for replacing Santander when they signed Tyler O’Neill this winter, there hasn’t been a true replacement yet for Burnes. This is a massive issue for Baltimore going into the season.

So far, the Orioles have added two notable starting pitchers in Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano. However, with both being on the wrong side of 30 — and in Morton's case 40 — and Sugano never pitching in the majors, there are a lot of question marks with both of them.

Fortunately for Baltimore, there are still options available for them in both free agency and the trade market. One player's name who has recently come up is San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King.

King was one of the big pieces dealt from the New York Yankees in the trade for Juan Soto and he had his breakout year in 2024. Last season, the right-hander went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA and had a 4.2 WAR.

It was a really impressive first full year as a starting pitcher, but due to some financial constraints for the Padres, King is considered somewhat available.

For the Orioles, the right-hander makes a ton of sense for them to pursue in a trade. King and San Diego recently reached a deal to avoid arbitration, but he will still almost certainly be a free agent at the end of 2025 despite them adding a mutual option for 2026.

As shown last campaign, the right-hander has the makings of being an ace pitcher. This is certainly something that needs to be addressed by the Orioles if they want to truly contend in 2025.

While he would likely be a rental like Burnes, he would likely be a much cheaper option if they were looking to keep him long-term as well.

Overall, with prospects to move and a need for an ace, King makes a ton of sense for the Orioles to pursue.