AP
PEORIA, Ariz. — The Yankees would do the Juan Soto trade over. No doubt. He was an MVP candidate and as responsible as anyone for the organization’s first World Series trip since 2009.
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But there was a cost. Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez remain low-cost depth pitchers for the Padres. Kyle Higashioka turned his best season into a two-year, $13.5 million deal with the Rangers. Drew Thorpe was rerouted to land Dylan Cease. And then there is Michael King, who went from the guy who could not crack the Yankees rotation to seventh for last year’s NL Cy Young to — is it possible? — the pitcher who might get the most in free agency next offseason.
“He’s going to get paid a lot,” Padres GM A.J. Preller said. “He’s really good.”
There are, of course, a lot of ups, downs and injuries from here to there.