3 reasons why the Chicago Cubs should sign Michael King

The latest reporting from The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney suggests that the Chicago Cubs are interested in several starting pitchers, including former San Diego Padres hurler Michael King.

With Shota Imanaga likely bowing out of his qualifying offer with the Cubs, the team needs to dip into the deep starting pitcher market this offseason. Even if Imanaga returns, it feels like the Cubs could use an additional veteran starting pitcher, and here's why King could fit the bill.

3 reasons the Cubs should target Michael King in free agency

King was dominant when healthy

Although he battled injuries in 2025, King was pretty solid in his 15 starts for San Diego. He compiled 73 1/3 innings pitched with a respectable 3.44 ERA this season. Plus we've seen what he can do with a full season's workload.

In 2024, King finished seventh in National League Cy Young voting with a 2.95 ERA over 30 starts. If his medicals are clean, the Cubs need to heavily consider adding him.

Relatively speaking, he should be very affordable

Recent contract projections suggest King will get a three-year contract worth anywhere from $57-75 million this offseason. This is fairly cheap for the kind of season King had in 2024, but that's because there are risks. 2024 was the first time King completed a full season as a starting pitcher, as the Padres converted him from a bullpen arm after they acquired him in the Juan Soto trade.

King will also be 31 in May, and like we mentioned before, he struggled to stay healthy last year with a shoulder and knee injury. But all of these variables put King in Chicago's wheelhouse, as the team is always looking for affordable options. The team has enough starting pitching depth to make up for a potential injury, and King's upside while healthy is worth the risk.

King would give the Cubs a veteran strikeout machine

The main draw here is King's arsenal. The right-hander features a crossfire delivery that can deceive hitters, contributing to his high strikeout numbers. King racked up 277 K's as a starter in San Diego, and he owns an elite career strikeout rate of 27 percent. King has also shown a knack for limiting hard contact, particularly in his standout 2024 campaign.

These tools would mix well with Chicago's current rotation, which is comprised of a lot of contact-inducing arms like Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Javier Assad. King could give opposing teams a much different look in his starts, and provide the Cubs a strikeout machine that they've lacked for years.