Michael King is the rare Padres move that actually feels responsible

A.J. Preller has officially made the first big splash of the offseason, and it wasn’t the one many expected. The Padres re-signed right-hander Michael King to a three-year, $75 million contract with opt-outs after 2027 and 2028.

It was only a matter of time before the front office addressed what was (and still is) the biggest hole. Preller acknowledged that at the beginning of the offseason and followed through on his promise.

Michael King staying put is the Padres’ most responsible offseason moment

King, 30, hit free agency after declining a mutual option that would’ve paid him $15 million in 2026. Instead, he chose to bet on himself, which earned him a contract worth $25 million AAV.

2025 was an injury-plagued season for King, as he missed time with a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder. He only saw 15 starts but remained effective, logging a 3.44 ERA.

The year before, King looked like one of the best pitchers in baseball, posting a 2.95 ERA over 30 starts and finishing seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting.

The Padres acquired King ahead of the 2024 season from the New York Yankees as part of the return package in the Juan Soto blockbuster.

What is the outlook for the rotation now?

We expect the Michael King reunion to be the first of many notable moves to be made by the front office. The starting pitcher market is still full of both high-end and low-end options, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan expects the Padres to be incredibly active on that front. 

If Preller is looking to make a splash on a pricey arm, Ranger Suarez and Framber Valdez remain on the market and would play well to the Padres' defense.

In terms of cheap, Chris Bassitt would be someone to keep an eye on, as he has been linked to San Diego for some time now.

For now, King will be grouped with Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove at the front of the rotation. There are still two vacancies at the back-end with Yu Darvish being out for the year, and you best believe those will be filled by spring training.