The San Diego Padres are trying to retain two of their starting pitchers before free agency.
The Padres made it to the postseason, but ultimately lost to the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the playoffs after going 90-72 in the regular season. San Diego’s pitching staff was one of the best in baseball, posting a 3.63 ERA, ranking third in the league. Dylan Cease and Michael King played a big role in the Padres’ success this season, but both are set to become free agents this offseason.
San Diego is trying to retain the two veteran hurlers, extending qualifying offers to Cease and King ahead of free agency, according to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell.
“Right-handers Dylan Cease and Michael King were both extended qualifying offers ahead of Thursday’s deadline, and will now have until Nov. 18 to decide whether to accept those offers (worth $22.025 million over one year),” Cassavell wrote Thursday. “Starting pitching is typically at a premium on the free-agent market. As such, it was always likely that Cease and King would be extended qualifying offers.
“If either of the two declines the offer, the Padres would receive a compensatory Draft pick. Relatively speaking, Cease and King are coming off down years in 2025. Thus, it’s not a lock that both King and Cease will decline the offers, even if that seems to be the likeliest outcome. They could view the offer as an opportunity to return to San Diego and boost their value for next offseason. That said, it seems more likely that both opt for free agency, where they’d presumably fetch a greater haul.”
Despite relatively down years, Cease and King are both likely to command higher figures in free agency than they would by accepting San Diego’s qualifying offers. Potentially losing both starters would be a massive loss for the Padres for next season. Fortunately, the team will receive draft compensation in return if the veteran hurlers leave now that qualifying offers have been extended.
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