The Red Sox don’t have a pitching crisis on their hands, but the rotation could still use a cleaner shape heading into the offseason. Boston has plenty to like on paper with Payton Tolle, Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Jake Bennett and Brayan Bello, plus depth options such as Tanner Houck, Johan Oviedo and Kutter Crawford. Even so, the group skews heavily to the left side, and that becomes more of a talking point if Sonny Gray departs in free agency after a rough finish to his 2026 season in Boston.
That’s where a pair of soon-to-be-former Padres pitchers come into focus: Michael King and Casey Mize.
King closed the year looking every bit like San Diego’s top starter. He was excellent when it mattered most, giving up one run over 14 innings in October while handling two dangerous offenses, the Cubs and Brewers. He also logged a gutsy relief outing in Game 3 of the NLDS just days after starting Game 2, helping keep the Padres alive for another day.
Mize’s path was the opposite. San Diego landed him at the trade deadline in a major move that cost the Padres top pitching prospect Kash Mayfield, but the results never came together.
Over 10 starts, he posted a 7.46 ERA and 7.18 FIP, and an ankle sprain eventually sent him to the injured list before the postseason. Even if he had been healthy, the source suggests he likely would not have cracked the roster anyway.
Boston should at least appreciate one thing: neither pitcher is eligible for a qualifying offer. That trims away some of the usual free-agent complication, though King’s case still depends on whether he opts out of his contract.
From there, the decision becomes a familiar one for a front office trying to balance upside and price. King finished with a 3.21 ERA across 185 innings, making him the more obvious big-ticket target. Mize, meanwhile, would be the buy-low swing, a former All-Star trying to rebuild value after a brutal stint in San Diego.
Craig Breslow previously chased King in free agency, so the fit makes sense. Either arm would give Boston a more balanced rotation, and if the Red Sox got the Tigers version of Mize - 2.70 ERA, 2.58 FIP - the group would look downright formidable in the American League.
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