What’s Next: How Michael King’s Return Impacts Padres, Starting Pitching Market

The Padres lost Dylan Cease to the Blue Jays in free agency, but they won’t have to say goodbye to Michael King, too. 

San Diego is bringing back a key piece of a rotation that needed to be addressed, reportedly re-signing King to a three-year, $75 million deal that includes opt outs after each of the first two seasons.

King believed he could be a full-time starter after starring primarily in a bullpen role with the Yankees from 2019-23. The Padres gave him the opportunity he was looking for in 2024, and he ran with it. King, who was the headliner for San Diego in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees, ended the 2024 season with a 2.95 ERA over 31 appearances (30 starts). He was one of 11 MLB pitchers with at least 200 strikeouts that year, and he finished seventh in National League Cy Young Award voting. 

Had he replicated those numbers, he likely would have been out of the Padres’ price range this winter. But a year after blowing past his previous career high in innings, he was unable to stay on the field. 

A nerve issue  impacted his shoulder and sidelined him for nearly three months during the 2025 season. Soon after, knee pain put him back on the shelf. When he returned in September, he didn’t have the same swing-and-miss stuff. He still finished the year with a respectable 3.44 ERA, but he made just 15 starts. 

The Padres clearly felt confident enough about the 30-year-old’s health to give him a qualifying offer, which he declined. In the end, though, they found a deal that worked for both parties. 

What’s next for San Diego

Fixing the rotation had to be the primary goal for president of baseball operations A.J Preller, especially with Yu Darvish set to miss next season after elbow surgery. Bringing back King — who was widely considered among the top five starting pitchers on the market this winter — helps stabilize the unit, gives them another potential October arm and takes some pressure off Joe Musgrove as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery. 

With Nick Pivetta, King and Musgrove, the Padres have a solid top three. They may still need more back-end depth to challenge Randy Vasquez and JP Sears for a rotation spot. The question now is how they go about finding it. 

(Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

Considering the Padres’ ownership group is exploring a potential sale and the team is already projected to be above the competitive balance tax threshold, it’s hard to envision Preller getting the go-ahead to add much more payroll. He may need to get creative to enhance the roster, which he is wont to do. The lineup could also use more depth, particularly at first base or designated hitter, with Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn both hitting free agency.

What’s next for King

King wisely declined the qualifying offer, despite coming off an injury-marred season. If he gets hurt again, this contract provides him a lot more security. If he returns to his 2024 form and decides to opt out, the new deal is essentially equal to the QO. He can then return to free agency in his early-30s and try for the nine-figure deal he was unable to secure this offseason. 

It’s really all about health for King, who demonstrated even early last year — he had a 2.59 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 55.2 innings over his first 10 starts before the injuries — that he can be a playoff-caliber starter when healthy. 

What’s next with the starting pitching market

After the Blue Jays signed Cease to a whopping seven-year, $210 million deal, it was mostly crickets at the top of the starting pitching market over the past few weeks. The premier names potentially available on the trade market (Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Edward Cabrera, MacKenzie Gore, etc.) could be impacting the slow pace, or it could be indicative of the concern teams have about offering long-term, nine-figure deals to the arms in this class.

(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Nonetheless, with King gone, contenders can turn their attention to Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, Zac Gallen and Tatsuya Imai, who all remain unsigned. Perhaps King’s $75 million contract helps catalyze the starting pitching market in a way that Cease’s didn’t. Regardless, teams interested in Imai are running low on time; the NPB standout’s posting window ends on Jan. 2. 

Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.