The San Diego Padres may be staring down another major rotation loss, and this one could sting the most.
After adding Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants and Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers at the MLB trade deadline, the Padres are still headed into an offseason full of uncertainty on the mound. Mize and Ray are both set to reach free agency in the 2026-2027 MLB offseason, and Nick Pivetta might be joining them as well.
Michael King, though, is the name that could deliver the toughest blow. The right-hander has an opt-out in his $75 million deal, and according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, he is likely to use it and test the market this winter.
"It seems likely that King will opt-out, as he is widely viewed as the second-best starting pitcher on this winter's free-agent market behind only Skubal," Feinsand writes.
That would put King right in the middle of a market that should have plenty of suitors. Tarik Skubal is expected to draw the biggest headlines, but King profiles as the next pitcher plenty of clubs will chase, especially teams that may not be able to land Skubal and are ready to pivot quickly.
At 31, King is carrying plenty of leverage. He is on a three-year, $75 million contract, so opting out would mean leaving the remaining $50 million over the final two seasons on the table. Still, his performance this season makes that a much easier gamble to understand.
King has posted a 3.23 ERA with 3.5 bWAR, 135 strikeouts, and 156 innings pitched, along with a 124 ERA+. Those numbers should put him in line for serious attention once the market opens.
For the Padres, the door is not completely closed. They can still try to bring him back on a new long-term deal. But Feinsand’s reporting points toward a winter in which King hits the open market first, and San Diego has to chase him there.
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