Orioles rumors heat up around Michael King but AL East rivals loom

The Baltimore Orioles have already checked a ton of boxes this winter. The O's made an early-offseason trade with Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward, secured the backend of their bullpen with a deal for free agent closer Ryan Helsley, and left the MLB Winter Meetings with one of the biggest bats on the board after inking Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal.

But the Orioles are still without arguably their biggest need. While no one can accuse Mike Elias of sleepwalking through the MLB offseason, it has to be noted that Baltimore's top decision makers have yet to add a frontline starter. The latest Orioles rumors, however, suggest that they're looking to rectify that in short order.

The Orioles are one of the teams who are looking to land free agent hurler Michael King. Unfortunately, however, they're not alone. Two of the AL East's biggest spenders — the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox — are also in the mix.

Orioles Rumors: Baltimore in the hunt for Michael King along with the Yankees and Red Sox among others

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe released an initial report of King's market being narrowed to just those three teams. It has since been clarified, however. While the O's, Yankees, and Red Sox are certainly still among those interested in signing King this winter, they're not the only teams who are still in the mix.

Adding King to the starting rotation would be the cherry on top of Elias' offseason spending extravaganza. Baltimore has backed up their blustering from earlier this winter, and after the additions of Ward, Helsley, and Alonso, have turned themselves into a legitimate contender for the division in 2026.

But the O's need to close the deal with King (or another top-of-the-rotation arm) in order to consider the offseason a complete success. Baltimore has also been in trade talks with the Marlins for starting pitcher Edward Cabrera.

King is said to be looking to end his free agency in the coming days, so there's a chance that these Orioles rumors could become reality before Christmas. Whether Baltimore lands King, trades for Cabrera, or targets another starter, it would seem that the O's will find some way to bolster their rotation ahead of the 2026 season.