Yankees knew price for acquiring OF Soto

NASHVILLE, Tenn. − The keys to a blockbuster deal were Michael King and Drew Thorpe.

At first, the Yankees had balked at including both King and Thorpe in a trade with the San Diego Padres for slugger Juan Soto, whom Yankees GM Brian Cashman called “a transformational bat, one of the best hitters in the game.”

But to get that kind of offense − even with a player entering his free-agent walk year − required a hefty cost in the type of pitching that San Diego desired.

Before striking Wednesday’s sevenplayer deal for Soto, sending four controllable pitchers to the Padres along with catcher Kyle Higashioka, Cashman said Tuesday, “There’d be very few untouchables” on the Yankees, coming off a fourth-place finish in 2023.

“But obviously we value Michael King a lot. He’s been a very good player for us and makes us better by having him here. Despite having a bad year, we have a lot of players that teams are interested in.”

Speaking late Wednesday after the deal was official, Padres GM AJ Preller spoke of San Diego’s need for controllable pitching. And the chance to acquire “depth and quality” arms in “Michael King and Drew Thorpe, just to name two,” was essential to their aim.

Seeking to trim payroll, the Padres became motivated to move Soto, who is expected to earn $33 million as an arbitration-eligible player this year.

Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham, also acquired in the deal by the

Yanks, is due to earn about $5-$6 million.

San Diego intends to use King as a starter, which he prefers, following his transition late in the 2023 season from a high-end, multi-inning bullpen weapon.

Regarded for his fastball command, King, 28, posted a 2.75 ERA in 2023 in 49 appearances, nine as a starter, with 127 strikeouts and 32 walks in 104.2 innings.

Right-handers Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito provide San Diego depth and versatility, as either starters or multi-inning relievers.

Thorpe, 23, was named the minor league Pitching Prospect of the Year, posting a 14-2 record and 2.52 ERA in 23 combined starts at Class A Hudson Valley and Class AA Somerset, with 182 strikeouts in 139.1 innings.

As rookies in 2023, Vasquez and Brito, both 25, made contributions to the Yankees’ injury-plagued staff as both starters and relievers.

Vasquez went 2-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 11 games (five starts), while Brito went 9-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 25 games (13 starts).