After being traded to the San Diego Padres as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, Padres veteran hurler Michael King has reportedly opted out of his contract.
In his first season with San Diego, King excelled in his first full season as a starter, posting a 2.95 ERA with 201 strikeouts and a 13-9 record in 31 appearances. The 30-year-old pitcher missed a significant portion of this season due to a right shoulder injury in late May and left knee inflammation suffered only a game after returning.
After making $7.7 million in the 2025 season, King is projected to get a massive pay raise after declining his mutual option, with The Athletic’s Tim Britton projecting the veteran to command a three-year contract worth roughly $75 million.
“Free agency is about timing,” Britton wrote Tuesday. “Had King been a free agent last winter, coming off a seventh-place Cy Young finish in his first full year as a starter, he’d have made nine figures. He pitched nearly as well in 2025 but only half as often, missing time with shoulder and knee ailments.
“An interesting comp for King is C.J. Wilson, who also transitioned from the pen to the rotation in his late 20s and experienced immediate success. I would suspect a deal for King to be creatively structured, guaranteeing a good amount of money on the front end with an opt-out structure for the back end. Think a three-year deal at $75 million with an opt-out after each season.”
Despite missing significant time this season, King remained a dominant pitcher, posting a 3.44 ERA in his 15 starts. The righty hurler will test free agency out for the first time this winter as one of the most coveted pitchers on the market. San Diego could still offer King a qualifying offer, worth roughly $22 million, but the veteran will presumably command more by testing free agency.
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