Can Cubs reel in Michael King on the trade block? |
Unless you're the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have no issues spending money, the 2025 MLB Free Agency period has been interesting to watch again. Sure, some teams have spent the money you expect to see when trying to land a talented player, but most of the league has taken a different approach.
Whether or not the Dodgers are to blame for that approach is an opinion everyone will see differently. Still, many teams have continued to monitor their spending on the free agency market for whatever reason. You then have teams like the Cubs, who haven't done much in free agency and have elected to try and cut costs to stay under the first luxury tax tier. Even with the cost cuts, the Cubs have still done a decent job finding talented players. Most of their success has come from the trade market, where they have acquired Eli Morgan, Kyle Tucker, and, most recently, Ryan Pressly. Given that we are roughly two weeks away from Spring Training, it's becoming less likely that the Cubs will make a significant free-agent splash, as that hasn't been in their DNA of late. Despite that, other teams are in the same boat as the Cubs. The San Diego Padres are another team looking to cut costs rather than spend money. Because of this, the decision was made to trade Dylan Cease and Michael King, two talented pitchers who became available to teams across the league. Cease shouldn't come as a surprise, as his name was dropped at the beginning of the offseason. King is a different story; hearing his name become available brings a new wrinkle. The Cubs may look to pursue this wrinkle, as Jed Hoyer has said he would like to add another starter, but they may not want to spend the type of money that Jack Flaherty or someone else is seeking. That is where the trade route comes into play, and with King expected to land somewhere between 8 and 8.5 million in arbitration, he is a target that the Cubs should strongly consider going after. There is no question that from a talent side of things, Cease has arguably the best stuff on the Padres staff, as his 98 MPH heater, paired with one of the best sliders, makes him a tough out against everyone. However, Cease wasn't at his best last season, and after going 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA across 189 innings, he was the third-best pitcher on the Padres staff. Cease did, however, pick up 224 punchouts in those 189 innings, which is better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings, as that part of his game is considered elite. Even with what some would call a down year last year, Cease still has plenty of value, which is why the Padres are asking for a King's Ransom. The same can't be said for King, who began his career as a reliever for the New York Yankees before coming to San Diego as part of the Juan Soto trade. Once he arrived in San Diego, Mike Schildt began talking with him, and they agreed to turn him from starter to reliever. Typically, this process may take a few months to get used to, but not for King, as he not only developed into a good starter but was one of the Padres best starters since the start of the season. Although he didn't have as many innings as Cease, King pitched 173 innings and went 13-9 on the season. That alone is a solid record for a first-time starter, but when you look at his 2.95 ERA, which ranked in the top eight among National League starters, and pair that with his 201 strikeouts, you get a grasp of how good he was last season. The 27-year-old King has four pitches he can go to at any point in the count but has relied heavily on two pitches, which stems from his days as a reliever. Backed by a fastball in the 95-96 MPH range, his 87 MPH change-up is his best pitch, as he does a great job changing up a hitter's timer. King also mixes in an occasional slider here and there and will look to use that pitch far more this upcoming season. Given that last season was his first season as a starter, there are some questions on whether or not his success will translate long-term. Coming off a season where he finished seventh in Cy Young voting and is hitting arbitration at the right time, King sought a deal in the $8.8 million range while the Padres countered with $7.3. Given the gap between the sides, an arbitration hearing is on the horizon, but should the Padres get closer to the eight million range, that hearing could be avoided. This is the perfect opportunity for the Cubs to bounce and call the Padres about what it would take to get a deal done for King. Not only is his age something the Cubs would love to add to their staff, but this is a time they have been operating on a budget, so to get a good pitcher for under 10 million is an opportunity they can't pass up. Unlike Cease, which will require a massive package, King won't require as much of a return, which could entice the Cubs even more to get something done. Sure, it may cost the Cubs a hitting prospect like James Triantos or Kevin Alcantara, but if you can throw in Javier Assad or Jordan Wicks to land King, it would be a win for the Cubs. King is not only a better option than Assad and Wicks, but he would instantly move into the No. 3 spot in this rotation and could be their No.2 should this team want to split up the lefties. His addition alone would give the Cubs a very strong top-four and make them one of the better staffs in the National League.
