The San Diego Padres have re-signed free-agent right-hander Michael King to a three-year, $75 million deal that includes two player options, retaining a major piece in their rotation while addressing some of the club’s glaring need for starting pitching.
The agreement includes a $12 million signing bonus, a $5 million salary for 2026, a $28 million player option for 2027 (or a $5 million buyout) and a $30 million player option for 2028. King, 30, was projected by The Athletic’s Tim Britton to earn a three-year, $75 million contract.
After performing like a frontline starter in 2024, King is coming off an injury-marred season that affected his first foray into the open market. A long thoracic nerve issue weakened his throwing shoulder and wiped out much of his contract year. King then experienced knee inflammation upon his August return. He wound up making only 15 starts before a one-inning relief appearance in the National League Wild Card Series.
A robust strikeout rate and a 3.44 ERA still illustrated the upside that remains. King headlined the Padres’ return in the December 2023 blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. The former reliever went on to thrive in his first big-league season as a full-time starter, logging a 2.95 ERA, amassing 201 strikeouts and placing seventh in National League Cy Young Award voting.
One frustrating year later, those numbers were a not-too-distant memory when King declined his end of a $15 million mutual option and subsequently rejected a $22.025 million qualifying offer. He entered free agency as the 13th-ranked option on The Athletic’s Big Board, although league sources indicated that his recent injury history prompted hesitation from some suitors, including big-market clubs in need of starting pitching.
San Diego, though, needs starting pitching as badly as anyone. The Padres lost Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays and Yu Darvish to elbow surgery, leaving them with a projected rotation of trade candidate Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, Randy Vásquez and a host of question marks. Faced with a potentially tight budget and seeking controllable arms, San Diego has explored the possibility of selling high on Pivetta, who can opt out of his contract after making $19 million next season. With King back, FanGraphs estimates the club’s luxury tax number at $259 million, well above the tax threshold of $244 million.
In the meantime, the Padres’ decision to re-sign King after a season gone awry might benefit both sides. King could attempt to rebuild his value in a familiar city before returning to the open market still in his early 30s.
Equipped with modest velocity and a deceptive delivery, King relies on a combination of swing-and-miss, soft contact and movement to both sides of the plate. He has demonstrated an ability to go deep into games; including a stellar postseason performance, he completed seven or more innings on seven occasions in 2024. Before he went on the injured list in May, he appeared to be building on the previous year’s success, with a 2.59 ERA through 10 starts.
