Thursday’s first wave of offseason decisions brought the Cubs exactly the kind of familiar name they may need to circle back to: Michael King is on the market.
King opted out of the final two years of his deal with the Padres, putting one of the better starting pitchers in the class into free agency. Tarik Skubal stands alone at the top, but King is now right there in the next tier and should draw plenty of attention once teams are free to start signing outside players next week.
The timing matters for Chicago. The Cubs’ rotation is expected to look different in 2027, and the market is about to move fast. Before that happens, the club already saw Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd opt out of their deals and become free agents, setting the stage for a busy stretch of roster movement.
King’s case is built on both the stuff and the results. The Cubs got a front-row look in Game 1 of their Wild Card series against San Diego, when he came within striking distance of a no-hitter and punched out eight over seven innings. When he’s right, he can take over a game.
Health has been the main question in the past, but not in 2026. King made 32 starts and logged 185 innings, posting a 3.21 ERA while striking out 21% of the hitters he faced. His career strikeout rate is 25.4%, so that drop is something teams will dig into, even if the number climbed to 28.3% in the playoffs.
The price tag is climbing, too. Jim Bowden of The Athletic projected King’s next contract at four years and $118 million, and it wouldn’t be a shock if the final total pushes even higher once clubs start bidding.
Chicago was connected to King last offseason, but there was a feeling his market may have moved beyond the Cubs’ comfort zone. His Padres deal was worth $75 million over three years and included opt outs this offseason and next.
This time, the Cubs may not have the luxury of picking and choosing. If they want to make the move, they’ll have to pay for the expectation.
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