Padres-Yankees "Juan Soto trade worked because of Michael King" as Friars got a "gem" from Bronx Bombers, says MLB insider
ESPN's Amina Smith and former big leaguer Eduardo Perez recently discussed the trade involving Juan Soto and Michael King, which took place between the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees after the 2023 season. Perez played professional baseball for 13 years, and now works as a broadcaster.
After spending a year-plus in San Diego, Juan Soto made the move to the New York Yankees along with center fielder Trent Grisham.
In exchange, the Padres recieved pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vazquez, along with catcher Kyle Higashioka.
On a recent episode of "SportsCenter", Perez talked about how, though it may seem like the Yankees got the better end of the deal, the arrival of King and his subsequent performances have led to the Padres getting good value out of the trade.
"Michael King [made the difference against the Braves]. He set the tone. He was able to throw strikes. He faced 26 hitters tonight, 21 of them started 0-1. He was so nasty, he was able to move the ball in with that two-seamer, he was able to control the four-seamer in the zone early, and then the sweeper that he had, he got a lot of swings and misses," Perez said [4:46]
"He was as dominant as any pitcher we've seen recently in the postseason. That's one of the big reasons why the Juan Soto trade worked [for the Padres], it was because of Michael King, they got a gem here in San Diego," Perez added [5:07]
Michael King strikes out 12 as Padres get vital advantage in playoff series against Braves
The San Diego Padres won Game 1 of their playoff series against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on Tuesday.
A two-run homer by Fernando Tatis Jr. in the bottom of the first and a sacrifice fly by catcher Kyle Hagashioka in the bottom of the second put the hosts in firm control of what turned out to be a comfortable victory.
For starting pitcher Michael King, Tuesday's game was perhaps the biggest of his career so far. The playoff series opener against the Braves was King's first ever postseason start, and the 29-year-old rose to the occasion.
Pitching seven innings, King allowed only five hits, no walks, no runs, and struck out 12 Braves batters. His dominance on the mound combined with early run support from the offense made for an enjoyable evening at home for the Padres.
Next, the Padres take on the Braves once again in the second game of the Wild Card series on Wednesday, with a win clinching it for the hosts.