Michael King’s free agency could end up being one of the more practical decisions the Blue Jays make all winter.
The right-hander officially hit the market on Oct. 29 after opting out of the final two years of his contract with the San Diego Padres. That move wasn’t exactly a shock. King had just put together a strong 2026 season, stayed healthy, and reestablished himself as a frontline starter near the top of San Diego’s rotation heading into his age-32 season.
Toronto still has offense on its shopping list, but pitching is going to be part of the conversation too. And King checks a lot of boxes for a club that has long leaned on veteran starters in free agency.
In 2026, King posted a 3.21 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP over a career-high 185 innings. It was the second time in three seasons that he reached at least 30 starts, a welcome rebound after an injury-plagued 2025.
His strikeout rate dipped, but he made up for it by keeping the ball off barrels and pairing that with a league-average walk rate. He doesn’t need overwhelming stuff to get outs; he just keeps hitters from doing real damage.
He also showed he can handle October. King gave up only one earned run in 14 postseason innings for the Padres last month, and he even recorded a two-inning save against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the NLDS.
That said, he’s not being sold as a true ace in the Dylan Cease mold. The Blue Jays already have Cease, which is part of what makes King such an appealing fit: he could slide in behind him and give Toronto a very dependable No. 2 starter.
There’s another layer here, too. Toronto has a history of targeting experienced starters on the open market, and durability usually matters a lot in those decisions. King’s health history won’t make him the easiest sell, but he does have relatively limited mileage because he only became a full-time starter in 2024.
The biggest question is price. King walked away from what amounted to about $53 million over the next two seasons, so he’s clearly aiming for more security.
A five-year deal may be too rich for most teams, but four years sounds much more realistic. A contract in the neighborhood of $100 million over four years could be the number that gets it done.
The Blue Jays might be tempted to chase Tarik Skubal, but there’s an argument for a more balanced approach. If they can land King and a bat like Seiya Suzuki for roughly half the total money, that may be the smarter play. A proven starter plus a power hitter would go a long way toward making the 2027 team look a lot stronger.
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