Michael King’s journey in the New York Yankees organization has been marked by versatility and adaptability. He initially made his mark as a reliever, providing valuable innings out of the bullpen while occasionally spot-starting when needed. However, it was during the 2023 season that King truly began to shine.
As injuries and inconsistencies plagued the Yankees’ starting rotation, King was given an opportunity to prove himself as a starter. His performances were nothing short of impressive, showcasing his improved command and pitch control. King finished the season on a high and has apparently locked his prized rotational spot for the 2024 season.
Michael King Now Has A Confirmed Berth In Yankees 2024 Season Starting Rotation
Ex-reliever Michael King had a dramatic journey with the New York Yankees this season. He transformed into a full-fledged starter owing to a lack of depth and aced his role. As the team wrapped up the lost season, King ended up with the second-best ERA (1.05) in the whole league with 30 plus pitches thrown, just below Blake Snell (0.47). He has surely excited the fans and management as they legitimately consider him as a part of the rotation for 2024. Only two spots are fixed till now, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon. However, King also received a confirmation of his secured birth last Sunday. After a rare mediocre outing, manager Aaron Boone pulled Michael King off and told him about the Yankees’ future plans.
He gave a word to King about his confirmed spot in next year’s rotation. “It’s nice to hear from your manager, and I’ve got a ton of respect for him. I really appreciate him giving me the opportunity,” said King. Further, Yanks pitching coach Matt Blake sort of hinted at the same during his interview with NJ Media. Blake said he is excited to see how the ex-reliever performs over the course of a full season. He has put up a strong performance down the stretch, and, in his eyes, he sees King as a strong front for the likes of Cole and Rodon. Having said that, King still feels he has a lot to prove since people are not treating him as a starter just yet. “I gotta get a full 32 starts. That’ll be the defining moment,” concluded King.
Yanks Unlikely To Go After Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
New York Yankees, the one with the second largest payroll in MLB, are likely to face financial constraints next year owing to luxury tax regulation. Moreover, if John Harper is to be believed, that constraint could keep the team from going after Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto during upcoming free agency.
Harper explained that the Yankees’ top priority would be to acquire an outfielder who is preferably left-handed. Thus, they seem likely to go after someone like Cody Bellinger or Juan Soto, which would eat up a major chunk of the available payroll. And Yamamoto’s market value is already skyrocketing. Therefore, Brian Cashman’s dream of landing a Japanese ace seems far-fetched for now.
