The Yankees may have another shot at a pitcher they once had in their sights, and the timing lines up with a bullpen that needs help.
John King, whom New York nearly landed in the Joey Gallo deal back in 2021 before backing off after looking at his medicals, was designated for assignment by the Marlins this week and placed on release waivers on Wednesday, according to MLB.com's transactions log. For a Yankees club searching for relief options, that puts a familiar name back on the board.
King’s value has always come from getting hitters to pound the ball into the ground rather than missing bats, and that profile showed up again this season. In Miami, he posted a 3.99 ERA over 49.2 innings, with 33 strikeouts and a 47.6% groundball rate. That followed a 2025 season in which he produced a 60% groundball rate, one of the best marks in baseball.
If New York were to bring him in, the expectation wouldn’t be that he suddenly steps into the biggest moments. The appeal is more practical than flashy: middle relief innings, the kind the Yankees need more than ever with Fernando Cruz reportedly dealing with a partial tear of his UCL.
That need has only grown as the workload climbs on the top arms in the bullpen. David Bednar will see a career high in innings, 57, pretty soon.
Paul Blackburn has thrown 74 innings, his most in two years. Brent Headrick is at 67, which is a workload he’s never handled before.
King has also spent most of this season in lower-pressure spots, with 37 of his 50 relief appearances coming in low-leverage situations. That matters for a bullpen trying to preserve arms.
His season in Miami took a sharp turn in August, when he struggled badly enough to push the Marlins toward the DFA. Over 6.2 innings that month, he allowed 12 runs and managed just one strikeout in seven appearances. Opponents hit .357 against him, with four doubles, three home runs and a 1.263 OPS.
Before that rough stretch, though, the numbers were much cleaner. King had logged 43 innings with a 2.51 ERA heading into August. If the Yankees believe the version they’d be getting is closer to that one, he could be a useful addition.
To make room, New York might need to designate someone such as Justin Topa. Even then, the fit would be fairly straightforward, since Topa wasn’t making a major impact either and would likely fill a similar role. The difference is that King, at 31, brings more veteran experience to the table.
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