Michael King Has High Praise for Padres' Players Acquired in Juan Soto Trade

Did San Diego win the trade?

The biggest trade of the offseason still belongs to the San Diego Padres, who moved star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees for a package of five players in December.

In return for Soto, the Padres received pitchers Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe and veteran catcher Kyle Higashioka. It was quite the haul for Soto, and one that the Padres desperately needed to help round out their inexperienced pitching staff.

King is the headliner for the Padres in this deal, and the front office is very excited to see him go to work. He has thrown out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation, giving San Diego more flexibility to work with.

As a starter last season, King made eight starts, posting an ERA of 1.88. If he can replicate his production, the trade of Soto won't seem as harsh.

However, King believes the Padres may have gotten a better deal than many think. He praised the players that San Diego acquired in the trade.

“I don’t know Thorpe too well, but I’ve watched video and you look at his stats and you know he’s gonna be a stud,’’ King said. “And the ceilings of Brito and Vasquez are through the roof. I’ve seen them develop this past year and their stuff is incredible.”

Per Michael King via The New York Post

Thorpe was the number-5 prospect for the Yankees when the deal took place. Playing last season at age 22 – a below-average age for a minor leaguer – the right-hander had an ERA of 2.52 in 23 starts across High-A and Double-A. 

Although he likely won't make an impact with the big league club this year, he is projected to debut in 2025 by MLB Pipeline, which ranks Thorpe as the Padres' number-6 prospect. 

Brito started 13 games for the Yankees last season, posting an ERA of 4.28 in 25 appearances. It was his first season in the big leagues, so there is plenty of room for improvement from him.

Schmidt will likely be a back-of-the-rotation piece for San Diego this season, making 32 starts for New York in 2023. He posted an ERA of 4.64, which could be lowered by working with the Padres' great pitching staff.

Higashioka has been around the game for years and can provide experience to the mix. He hit .236 with 10 home runs and 24 runs batted in for the Yankees last season.

All in all, the Padres did a good job with this trade package. Losing a player like Soto does hurt, but the front office was able to round up solid assets for a player that they felt they needed to move.