The Philadelphia Phillies’ signature move so far this winter was a trade for a starting pitcher. Could an even bigger trade be forthcoming?
After landing left-hander Jesús Luzardo in a December deal with the Miami Marlins, the Phillies have one of the most stacked rotations in all of Major League Baseball. But the new adage in MLB is that you can never have too much starting pitching.
The San Diego Padres have starting pitching in abundance, but with an ownership controversy plaguing the organization, they may be looking to trade one of their starters away.
Michael King, the 29-year-old who starred with a 2.95 ERA in his first year as a starter last season, will be a free agent next winter, so he’s a logical candidate to be moved to shed some payroll.
On Tuesday, Troy Brock of Philadelphia Phillies on Sports Illustrated suggested that the Phillies could trade for King–to use as a reliever. He proposed a return of top prospects Mick Abel, Devin Saltiban, and Robert Moore to San Diego.
“Adding King to the mix would give the club the flexibility to push Alvarado down the depth chart another spot, with the hypothetical acquisition serving as a third setup man with Strahm and Kerkering,” Brock wrote.
“As far as the return that San Diego would receive, with King entering a contract year and how little Major League players have been valued on the trade market this winter, it should not take much.”
While King might be obvious trade fodder if the Padres are desperate to shed salary, the Phillies may not be the best fit.
With all respect to Brock’s vision for a dominant bullpen, it’s hard to envision King, who just finished seventh in the National League Cy Young race, eagerly accepting an assignment as a reliever the year before he hits free agency.
However, there’s also a chance the Phillies could put King in the rotation, trade Ranger Suárez for prospects, and look to extend King for something in the ballpark of his $71 million Spotrac market value projection. That’s the best recipe for success in this hypothetical.
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