{
  "id": 6460800,
  "title": "Cardinals linked to 3.00 ERA pitcher for potential ideal free agent match",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/cardinals-linked-to-3-00-era-pitcher-for-potential-ideal-free-agent",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-09T19:14:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cardinals-linked-3-00-era-191421030.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly considering making a move for Michael King, the 3.00 ERA pitcher from the San Diego Padres, according to CBS Sports Mike Axisa. This would be an ideal free agent target for the Cardinals, who are looking to upgrade their starting rotation for the 2026 season and beyond. King's five-pitch arsenal and strong command suggest a gradual decline in performance, but his big-market status and experience in postseason battles make him a strong candidate for the Cardinals. If King opts out of his $75M three-year deal with the Padres, the Cardinals could potentially sign him, despite his player option for 2027. However, the Cardinals would likely need to offer a yearly salary of more than $25 million for King, as that is the average annual value (AAV) of his current deal. While it's still early to determine King's future plans and the Cardinals' interest in spending that much on a 31-year-old starting pitcher, if the team decides to add a veteran, King might be the ideal option for them.",
  "summary": "This pitcher would make for an ideal upgrade to the Cardinals' rotation.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}