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You can’t win by trading Juan Soto, but in getting King from the Yankees in the deal, the Padres cut their losses. Returning King to the starting role he had as a prospect, the Padres watched him make 30 starts with a 2.95 ERA (3.33 FIP) and pick up some downballot Cy Young votes. He was running back that performance through mid-May when a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder shut him down for two months, then he injured his left knee in his August return, and threw just one relief inning in the Padres’ wild-card series against the Cubs. King was a tough free agent to evaluate, and his situation became more complicated when the Padres tagged him with a qualifying offer. King refused it, adding cost to any team looking to add him as a free agent.
