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Blue Jays 2025 free agent target: Michael King
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Photo credit: © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Nov 16, 2025, 18:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 16, 2025, 18:07 EST
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Michael King has experience in the American League East.
Drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 2016 draft, King was eventually sent to the New York Yankees, where he made his big league debut in 2019. Over the course of five seasons, King had a 3.38 ERA and 3.34 FIP in 247.2 innings pitched, making 19 starts in 115 appearances. Moreover, he finished his Yankees tenure with a 27.3 K% and an 8.1 BB%.
In the 2023/24 off-season, King was part of the package sent to the San Diego Padres to land Juan Soto. The Padres gave King his first real chance as a starter, and he excelled. King started 30 of his 31 appearances and had a 2.95 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 173.2 innings pitched. The right-handed pitcher also finished the year with a 27.7 K% and 8.7 BB%.
That begs the questions: how did King perform entering his final season under contract, and is he a fit for the Toronto Blue Jays?

2025 Season Stats

King had an injury-riddled season. When healthy, he was okay, finishing the year with a 3.44 ERA and 4.42 FIP in 73.1 innings pitched along with a 24.7 K% and an 8.4 BB%. The highlight of his season was a complete game shutout against the Colorado Rockies early in the season.
However, King hit the Injured List in late May due to a shoulder injury. After returning for one start in early August, King was once again placed on the Injured List due to a knee injury, but returned a month later for the Padres’ postseason push.
It was a less-than-ideal season for the 30-year-old, especially considering how his 2024 went. His ERA of 3.44 was his worst since the 2021 season with the Yankees, his first full season in the big leagues. King’s 4.42 FIP was the worst since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the first season he threw any significant number of innings in the big leagues.
At the end of the season, King declined his mutual option and was given a qualifying offer worth $22.05 million. He has until Tuesday (Nov. 18) to decide whether to accept it.

Does King fit on the Blue Jays?

King is a great fit for the Blue Jays. When he was healthy in 2024, King proved that he can handle a starter’s workload and find success. His velocity dropped nearly 3 mph, but that’s to be expected in longer outings.
Looking at his Baseball Savant page from 2024, you can see that when he’s healthy, he generates a ton of soft contact. King also does a great job of generating whiffs and striking out batters. Simply put, his stuff is nasty.
If the Jays were to sign King, they’d lose their second-round pick and fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft (unless Bo Bichette signs elsewhere, in which case they won’t receive that pick). Additionally, they’ll lose $1 million in International Free Agency bonus pool money for the 2027 class.
Is he worth it? Well, he’s only had one healthy season as a starter and had a shoulder injury in the most recent season. If he didn’t have a qualifying offer attached, he’s absolutely worth it, but I’m not sure the same can be said due to the loss of picks. Giving up picks isn’t the issue, but if they were to do that, they should look at a more established starter.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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