Michael King’s expected decision to decline his player option is no surprise in San Diego, but it does put the Padres back at a familiar offseason crossroads. The club can and should try to bring him back.
At the same time, A.J. Preller cannot let the rest of the rotation plan stall while that plays out.
King becoming a free agent means one of the Padres’ most important arms is now in the open market. He’s earned the chance to see what else is out there after putting up a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings in 2026. And even with that reality, there’s still a straightforward case for the Padres to push hard for a reunion.
The bigger question is how far they’re willing to go.
San Diego should already have a clear idea of what keeping King is worth, and that discussion has to include ownership. The front office needs to know where a major pitching commitment fits alongside the rest of the roster, because replacing King won’t be cheap.
Jim Bowden’s contract projections recently had King at four years and $118 million, while Freddy Peralta was forecast at five years and $140 million. Those numbers aren’t guarantees, but they show how quickly the market can move on a starter with this kind of profile.
That’s why the Padres need a firm ceiling in place. They can pursue King aggressively, but only up to the point where the rest of the roster still gets built properly. If pushing past that line leaves other holes untouched, San Diego has a real decision to make.
And that’s where Preller’s work becomes more than just waiting on King.
The Padres need backup plans ready now. If King’s price climbs beyond their comfort zone, Preller should already have a sense of what the next route looks like.
Would Freddy Peralta demand an even bigger outlay? Would a trade for a starter require prospects the Padres need for another move?
If a strong alternative surfaces before King makes his choice, Preller shouldn’t sit on it. King has said he wants to stay in San Diego, but that can’t be the thing that freezes everything else.
The temptation is to treat a reunion as the natural outcome and leave every other option sitting in theory. That would be a mistake.
The right approach is simple: chase King with purpose, keep building the rotation around him, and be ready to pivot if the numbers get too high. If he returns, great. If he doesn’t, the Padres still need a credible rotation on the field.
In Other News...
Padres Suddenly Have A Jake Cronenworth Question They Can't Ignore
Jim Bowdens latest free-agent projection puts the Padres in an interesting spot, with Brandon Lowe landing on a three-year, $45 million deal and San Diego listed among the best fits. It is the kind of rumor that immediately pulls the spotlight toward the infield, because Lowe is not just another name on the market. He is the sort of bat that can change how a roster is arranged and how a front office thinks about the pieces already in place.
For the Padres, the bigger question is what that would mean for Jake Cronenworth, whose role would suddenly be harder to define if Lowe enters the mix. San Diego would have to weigh the financial hit, the ripple effect on the lineup, and whether adding Lowe creates a cleaner infield alignment or forces a tougher decision elsewhere on the roster. It is the kind of move that could make sense on paper while still setting up a very real roster squeeze. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Have A Rotation Problem They Can't Ignore
Michael Kings decision to decline his player option leaves the Padres with an immediate question they cant duck this winter. The right-hander turned down the remaining two years and $58 million on his deal, choosing free agency instead and taking the $5 million buyout, a move that strips San Diego of one of its most important starting pitchers heading into the offseason.
King had been a key part of the rotation, and his exit creates a real hole the Padres will have to address. For a team that already needed stability on the mound, losing a pitcher of that caliber adds urgency to everything that comes next, from internal planning to whatever they do in the market. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A Risky Adrian Morejon Decision This Winter
Adrian Morejons shoulder was part of the backdrop to the Padres postseason run in a way that went beyond any single outing. When the club needed late-inning options in a critical National League Division Series spot, he was unavailable because of the stickiness in his left shoulder, a reminder that his talent has always come with some medical uncertainty attached.
Jim Bowdens recent warning about Morejon only sharpened the question for San Diego this winter. The Padres know his health better than any other team, which gives them an edge in deciding whether to bring him back, but it also forces a tougher conversation about how much risk they want to carry before he reaches free agency. [Read more 🡒]