Michael King calls Juan Soto “one of the top three hitters in the game right now,” but his new team believes in the Yankees right-hander whom they signed in December Part of the team sent to San Diego in a big player trade. He was successful in business.
“I”m still grateful to [Padres general manager] A.J. Preller and can confidently say I feel like the Padres earned this deal,”
King said by phone from San Diego on Monday.
Obviously, Juan Soto, so you have to leave a big package behind, but I was floored to see who was going to go to San Diego with me.
King had a terrible season in the Bronx last season, joining longtime catcher Kyle Higashioka and three young pitchers: Randy Vasquez, Jonny Brito and Drew Thorpe.
Sent to Padres. Soto and the Yankees will make $31.5 million in his final season before entering free agency.
King is excited to see what he can do as part of the Padres rotation beyond what Brito and Vasquez and Thorpe can do.
“I didn”t know much about Thorpe, but I watched the video and you looked at his statistics and you knew he was going to be a role model,”
King said.
King is struggling to work with a new coach after moving to San Diego, making it a difficult time for the 28-year-old. “I want to do that,” King said. He has started 19 games this season. Four of those came with the Yankees, including nine games last season.
He had been limited by various injuries, including a broken elbow that cut his 2022 season short, and had an innings limit, but those limits were scheduled to be lifted with the Padres.
Juan José Soto Pacheco (born October 25, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres.
He made his MLB debut in 2018 and was runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year award. Soto is a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and three-time All-Star.
“I”m excited to start a new chapter in my career as a starter,”
King said.
King has further developed his four-pitch repertoire over the past two seasons, and the results continue, posting a 2.29 ERA in 51 innings in 2022 and a 2.75 ERA in 104 sq/₃ innings a year ago.
“They”re going to be an exciting duo to watch all year long,”
King said.
