Michael King is headed into free agency with a market that could get loud in a hurry.
The San Diego Padres right-hander opted out of his contract after the 2026 season, leaving behind the three-year, $75 million deal he signed with opt outs after each of the first two seasons. Now entering his age-32 season, King sits near the top of this year’s free-agent pitching class.
The money he walked away from was no small thing. In 2026, King collected a $12 million signing bonus and a $5 million salary, then added a $5 million buyout after declining the final two years and $58 million.
He’s now chasing a contract that matches the season he just put together - and maybe the one he still believes is ahead of him. Whether that ends up being with San Diego is still unresolved.
Matthew Pouliot of NBC Sports ranked the top free agents in the class and projected deals for them, and he sees King landing a five-year, $140 million contract.
That price tag makes sense after what King delivered in 2026. He was the Padres’ ace, posting a 3.21 ERA in 32 starts while piling up 152 strikeouts, a 1.17 WHIP and a 12-10 record over a career-high 185 innings.
It was his third season in San Diego, and he arrived as one of the centerpiece pieces in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade before the 2024 season.
For the Padres, the timing couldn’t be much more delicate. Randy Vasquez is the only starting pitcher guaranteed to be back in 2027, which makes keeping King a major priority if the club wants to stay in the contender conversation next season.
Even with the big projection attached to him, Pouliot pointed to a couple of reasons for caution.
"It is of some concern that his strikeout rate has dipped from 28 percent in his first full year as a starter in 2024 to 25 percent in 2025 and just 21 percent in 2026, but his velocity last season was actually up a tad and he’s also been getting more grounders," Pouliot wrote. "What works in his favor is that he has considerably less mileage on his arm than most 31-year-olds, and he’s ineligible for a qualifying offer after getting one last year."
Still, King figures to be near the top of San Diego’s offseason wish list. The Padres need to add at least three starting pitchers this winter, whether that comes through free agency or trade.
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