2 Padres the Angels should target in a trade, and 1 they would be wise to avoid

Rumors have been percolating for a while about a San Diego sell-off

Division Series - San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 1
Division Series - San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 1 | Harry How/GettyImages
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Michael King should be the starting pitcher the Angels target in a Padres trade

Michael King was one of the centerpieces of the 2023 trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees, and became an integral part of the Padres' success last year. In his first year with the Friars, he transformed himself from a back-end reliever to a stellar starting pitcher.

King finished 2024 with a 2.95 ERA in 173.2 innings pitched. He struck out an impressive 10.42 batters per nine innings and also limited the long ball, surrendering just 0.88 HR/9. He pitched like a top-of-the-rotation starter despite never accumulating more than nine starts in a single season prior to 2024. That lack of a track record will make him cheap as well. King and the Padres failed to come to an agreement on his contract for 2024 so they will likely head to arbitration, but his final number should be below $9 million.

While the numbers certainly were solid, it's a risky proposition to give up assets for a pitcher entering his age-30 season who has just one full season of experience as a starting pitcher. Starters are less volatile than relievers, but you'd like to see more from a pitcher of his age to justify giving up a huge haul.

Should the Angels acquire King, they could look to Seth Lugo's deal last year with the Royals as a roadmap for his extension. Like King, Lugo spent the majority of his career in the bullpen before breaking out as a top-end starter. Lugo was a few years older than King at the time he signed a three-year $45 million contract, but the principal is the same.

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