The New York Yankees made smart decisions to pivot after Juan Soto signed with the rival New York Mets last year, and two former general managers are predicting them to do something similar this year too.
Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden, each former MLB GMs, mapped out the Yankees’ potential offseason which could include Michael King’s return to the Bronx on SiriusXM MLB Radio over the weekend.
The Yankees have some house cleaning of their own, with outfielder Cody Bellinger still a free agent. But if he goes the Soto route, even potentially signing with the Mets, the Yankees have options if Bellinger leaves.
Brendan Donovan Could Be Had From St. Louis
The Yankees have a potential hole at shortstop due to Anthony Volpe’s recovery from shoulder surgery — and the young shortstop’s struggles this year.
That is why the Yankees have been been linked to infielder Brendan Donovan, who is likely to be dealt by the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason. Donovan is coming off an All-Star season, where he slashed .287/.353/.422 and hit 10 homers and drove in 50 while also posting 32 doubles.
Donovan is under team control through 2027 and can play left field and third base, aside from just shortstop. He is left-handed too, which could lead to a boost in power numbers — look what Trent Grisham’s short swing produced in 2025.
Bowden floated the prospect of New York dealing a package headlined by No. 5 starter Will Warren. Warren, who durably made 33 starts in 2025. Warren went 9-8 with a 4.40 ERA while striking out 171 in 162 1/3 innings.
Warren may seem like a lot to part with, especially with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt out for at least the first month of the regular season. Yet, that is where phase 2 of the Duquette/Bowden plan comes into play.
Michael King Could Be The Starting Pitcher To Replace Will Warren
King, of course, was a Yankees prospect who was dealt to the San Diego Padres as the primary player in the Soto deal. He went 13-17 with a 3.37 ERA and seven saves in 115 outings for the Yankees between 2017-23.
He was a reliever in New York but has emerged as a front-line starting pitcher by going 18-12 with a 3.10 ERA and 277 strikeouts in 247 innings with one shutout in 36 games in two seasons in San Diego. But King opted out of his contract, and the 30-year-old Rochester, New York native could actually be an upgrade from Warren — even despite the higher cost.
Bowden had previously projected a three-year, $75 million contract for King in The Athletic, which seems reasonable given the outrageous seven-year, $210 million contract his former teammate Dylan Cease just received from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Adding King would lengthen the Yankees rotation — he could open the season as a No. 2 starter behind Max Fried and move down to the No. 3/4 guy when Rodon and eventually Cole return.
Yet, King could also be used as a Swiss Army Knife-style reliever in the postseason, where he could throw high-leverage innings — or multiple innings — at any point behind Cole, Fried, Rodon and Schlittler in October.
Signing King would make sense without parting with Warren anyway — though his addition could put New York out on Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai.
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