3 starting pitchers Padres can target after Michael King's mutual option declined

What was widely expected officially became a reality on Sunday, as Padres starting pitcher Michael King has declined his mutual option, opening the door for him to test free agency. The 30-year-old qualified for a deal on the open market worth $7 million more than if he were to accept the option.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden expects a plethora of teams to be in on King, including the Mets, Yankees, and Cubs, all of whom have more financial flexibility.

Luckily for A.J. Preller and the front office, the starting pitcher market is very large, with a variety of options at a wide range of market values. With the Padres only having $47 million in available payroll, combined with what is now seven players from this past year’s roster set to be unrestricted free agents, they need to be extra careful with how much they spend.

There are a set of guys we have in mind to start the rotation rebuild in San Diego.

3 starters the Padres can pursue after Michael King’s mutual option decision

Merrill Kelly

Kelly started on the Diamondbacks, before being part of their fire sale in which he was dealt to the Texas Rangers. At 37 years old, Kelly put up a tremendous season for his age, posting a 3.52 ERA over the course of 184 innings pitched.

An average fastball with two impressive secondary pitches, Kelly kept hitters guessing all season with his evenly distributed six pitch arsenal, a huge reason why he placed in the top 9% in terms of chase rate.

Projected to earn $15 million a year, he is affordable, efficient, and could be the perfect pairing with Nick Pivetta, who saw a breakout season in his first year as a Padre.

While not directly linked to San Diego, it would not hurt to do some research on the veteran right-hander, as he could prove to be an excellent value signing for a starting rotation that is set to endure a ton of change.

Shane Bieber

Don’t let the game losing home run in the World Series that he allowed to Will Smith fool you, Bieber has been excellent since returning from Tommy John surgery which kept him out for almost all of 2024, and nearly half of 2025.

In the 40.1 innings of action that he saw, he did not waver, posting a 3.57 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP, proving to be a guy that can give you innings. Bieber also maintained an exceptional walk rate, issuing free passes only about 4.4% of the time.

Though he opted into his $16 million player option being, he still plays within the Padres price range. He could definitely be a solid front-end guy in the starting rotation. A little bit more pricey, but definitely worth checking out.

Zack Littell

Littell was traded to the Cincinnati Reds from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2025 trade deadline to add depth to what was an already strong starting rotation. He was a massive reason why the team clinched their first playoff berth since 2020. Strictly a rental, Littell is set to earn around $10 million annually in 2026 and beyond.

A cheap option to say the least, it would be wise if Preller were to target Littell due to his track record of being a solid back-end of the rotation arm.

Similar to Bieber, Littell maintained one of the league’s lowest walk rates, ranking in the top 2% in this metric. With that being said, he is prone to giving up a ton of home runs due to his tendency of challenging hitters.

When it comes to Littell, it’s a “pick your poison” situation, as he avoids unnecessary baserunners, but at the same time can allow a big inning via the long ball.