The offseason has dragged on and as we enter into February, teams are still looking to make their mark before Opening Day. No roster is ever truly complete, but adjustments can always be drawn up even during the month of spring training to work out any shortcomings. The Philadelphia Phillies have added to their own respective roster in hopes of finally reaching the World Series.
The Phillies were known to have limitations for big-splash signings this offseason, prior to years past. The belief now is the roster needs more tweaking than an overhaul to fix what caused them to fall short the last few postseasons. They did trade for Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins in December, so they remain in search of talent.
Teams are always in talks about trading stars, and the San Diego Padres have a big name they could be ready to deal this offseason. The Phillies are a worthy destination for players wanting to win, but the club looks unlikely to partake in this potential trade.
Phillies unlikely fit for Padres’ breakout trade candidate Michael King, unfortunately
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, right-handed starter Michael King has been a name brought up as available for trade (subscription required). Padres ownership disputes and wanting to offload salary have led to King's name recently being thrown into the mix.
King would be another stellar option for the Phillies rotation, but the soon-to-be 30-year-old could just be a rental. According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, he agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option in 2026. The Phillies also have a full and set rotation coming into the year, per Mike Axisa of CBS Sports, who ranks them 21st out of King's 30 possible landing spots.
King was the lead name the Padres acquired in the Juan Soto deal with the New York Yankees last offseason. King converted from a reliever role and took to the rotation in 2024 with the Padres and instantly became a top pitcher with a 13-9 record with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings pitched. He capped off the year finishing seventh in NL Cy Young voting.
The Padres surely would like to sign King to a longer term deal, but the sum of trade offers might be too much to pass up. His $4 million 2025 salary and $3.75 million buyout for a potential $15 million 2026 salary would be a cheaper option for teams looking for a front-line starter with still a decent package in return. For the Phillies, that could mean parting ways with shortstop Aidan Miller.
The Phillies could make the fit work, but with Luzardo now in the mix and starter Taijaun Walker's $36 million still on the books, the room just isn't there. Left-hander Ranger Suárez took on Scott Boras as his agent this winter, so even hopes of extending him before he tests free agency next offseason are now slim to none.
The Phillies do have Andrew Painter on the way up, which could open the possibility of moving on from either Walker or Suárez and open a spot for King. It would take some moving around on the Phillies' end to bolster the pitching staff even further, but other than that, the staff is pretty much set to take on 2025.