The Los Angeles Dodgers have already built a rotation that reads more like an All-Star ballot than a depth chart. Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Shohei Ohtani. Roki Sasaki.
Blake Snell. That’s a front four with enough firepower to headline an international baseball summit, let alone a National League rotation.
Add in promising arms like Emmet Sheehan, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, and Justin Wrobleski, and it’s hard to find another team in baseball with more upside or depth on the mound.
But here’s the thing: in baseball, depth isn’t just a luxury-it’s a necessity. Especially when you're the Dodgers, a team with October ambitions baked into its DNA.
Injuries happen. They always do.
And while this rotation is stacked, it's also got its share of question marks when it comes to durability. That’s why the idea of adding another top-tier starter-like Michael King-makes more sense than it might at first glance.
Let’s be clear: the Dodgers don’t need another starter the way they needed a high-leverage bullpen arm before locking up Edwin Díaz. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t benefit from one. Especially if it means keeping him away from a division rival.
Enter Michael King.
The right-hander is coming off a breakout stretch as a starter. In 2024, his first full season in the role, he posted a 2.95 ERA and 3.33 FIP across 173 2/3 innings.
That’s not just solid production-that’s front-line stuff. Even in a more limited 2025 campaign due to injury, King still managed a 3.44 ERA over 73 1/3 innings, striking out nearly 25% of the batters he faced.
He’s shown he can miss bats, limit damage, and carry a starter’s workload when healthy.
And here’s where things get interesting: the Padres-who could really use a pitcher like King-are unlikely to be serious players for him in free agency. Financial constraints and a rotation in flux have left San Diego scrambling.
With Dylan Cease gone and Yu Darvish sidelined, the Padres are staring down a group headlined by Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove (returning from Tommy John), Randy Vásquez, and JP Sears. That’s not exactly a fearsome foursome.
They don’t even have a clear fifth starter right now, unless you count swingman Kyle Hart.
So, if the Dodgers were to swoop in and sign King? It wouldn’t just bolster their own rotation-it would deal a blow to a division rival that’s already on the ropes. It’s the kind of move that would send a message: the NL West still runs through Chavez Ravine, and the Dodgers aren’t interested in giving anyone else a window of opportunity.
Financially, King is expected to command somewhere in the $20-25 million range annually on a short-term deal. For a team like the Dodgers, that’s a manageable price tag-especially considering he wouldn’t even need to carry the load of a No. 1 or No. 2 starter.
He could slot in further down the rotation and dominate matchups against opposing back-end starters. Think of it as a luxury upgrade with real postseason implications.
Of course, the Dodgers have other needs to address. Their bullpen still needs reinforcements, and the left field situation remains unresolved after Michael Conforto’s departure.
But this is the Dodgers we’re talking about. They’ve never been shy about going the extra mile-or spending the extra dollar-if it means putting themselves in a better position to win.
Signing Michael King wouldn’t just be a smart baseball move. It would be a strategic flex. One that deepens an already elite rotation, protects against the inevitable injury bug, and keeps a valuable arm out of the hands of a division rival.
Overkill? Maybe. But when you’re chasing a World Series title, overkill is often just another word for preparation.