Recently traded budding ace pitcher Michael King got married. Gerrit Cole gave his usual antics at the wedding as the players, friends and families enjoyed the event.
Many Yankee stars attended their fellow teammate's wedding. King married his long-time partner Sheila Hill. The two had got engaged in December last year. On December 16, the couple tied the knot.
King was just traded to the San Diego Padres in a massive seven-player trade as the Yankees brought in Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. This forced him to switch sides and move to the West Coast.
However, it didn't stop the pitcher from reuniting with his previous teammates. During the event, Cole, in particular, made a lasting impression.
Jameson Taillon, Aaron Judge, Anthony Volpe, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Clay Holmes, DJ LeMahieu, Chad Green, Luke Voit and Gerrit Cole were present on the groom's behalf.
Michael King was part of a seven-player trade deal that saw Yankees land famed OF Juan Soto
The 25-year-old Juan Soto arrived in New York along with outfielder Trent Grisham. They were traded for five players: catcher Kyle Higashioka and right-handers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vásquez. MLB Pipeline Top 100 has Thorpe at No. 99, and Vásquez was the Yankees' 13th-ranked prospect.
"Michael King gets asked a routine question about his pitch mix. He doesn’t give a routine answer but actually goes in depth into his strategy and thoughts. I love it" - Jomboy_
Even though Michael King is 28 years old and has made 19 big league starts in his career, he is the deal's main piece. Although the Padres' primary short-term need is starting pitching assistance for 2024, San Diego's return package focuses on obtaining multiple years of control over starting pitchers.
King is the pitcher in this agreement who will contribute the most in 2024, and he comes with two years of control that will likely cost less than $10 million overall.