Free agent righthander Michael King has narrowed his choices to the Orioles, Red Sox, and Yankees, a major league source told the Globe on Sunday, and wants to make a decision soon.
King, 30, was 18-12 with a 3.10 earned run average and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings the last two seasons for the Padres.
King played at Bishop Hendricken High in Rhode Island, then pitched at Boston College from 2014-16. He had a 3.38 ERA over 115 games with the Yankees from 2019-23.
After working as a multi-inning reliever, King started his final eight games for the Yankees in 2023 and had a 1.88 ERA. He was sent to the Padres after that season as part of the trade that returned Juan Soto.
Over his career, King is 18-21 with a 3.35 ERA in 64 starts. His presence would further improve a Red Sox rotation that has already added Sonny Gray and Johan Ovideo via trade this offseason while at the same time allowing the Red Sox more freedom to potentially use some of their younger starters as trade chips to fill other needs.
King has a 3.38 ERA in six career games at Fenway Park and allowed two earned run over 10 2/3 innings in two starts.
King left 45 tickets for friends and family when he pitched at Fenway on June 29, 2024. He had three-hit shutout through five innings before Jarren Duran homered leading off the sixth inning.
“It’s fun,” King said after the game. “I came here as a high schooler and college kid. I watched them celebrate in 2013. It’s close to home whenever I come here.”
Now King could call Fenway home if the Red Sox are prepared to outbid their division rivals.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.
