Michael King's Game 1 start proved Padres can't afford to explore player options

It might be time to lock this guy into a deal. Petco Park didn’t spend Tuesday night watching Michael King audition. If anything, they just watched his price climb. King carved through the Chicago Cubs for seven scoreless innings in the Padres’ 8-0 Game 1 win, allowing one hit and striking out eight while carrying a no-hitter into the seventh. He did it against a lineup that led baseball in runs and had scored 9.2 per game while taking five of six from San Diego during the regular season.

This was a postseason game with the season’s highest-scoring offense in the other dugout and the entire Wild Card series leaning on the opener. Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts helped supply the fireworks from the offensive side. Jackson Merrill helped turn the game into a laugher. But King made every additional run feel decorative while Petco Park turned into a party.

Michael King keeps shrinking the Padres’ biggest games

We’ve seen this movie before. Two years ago, King made his first postseason start in the same round and on the same mound. He struck out 12 Braves over seven scoreless innings in another Game 1 victory.

Two starts aren’t going to write his contract. But the Padres already knows exactly who to trust this time of year. King lowers the temperature in these moments, and it’s worth the price.

He also did the ordinary work required to earn the stage. King finished the regular season with a 3.21 ERA across 32 starts and 185 innings. The Friars spent much of the summer juggling injuries and uncertainty while King supplied both quality and volume.

Padres need to act before Michael King exercises his opt-out

King’s three-year, $75 million contract includes opt-outs after each of its first two seasons. After this postseason, he can leave the final two years and $58 million behind while collecting a $5 million buyout. The choice belongs to him, but the Padres should show some urgency here.

If King opts out, that can’t be viewed as betrayal. The contract was built to give him another shot at free agency if he restored his value after an injury-disrupted 2025. He held up his end of the arrangement. Now it’s time for the Padres to pay him for what he’s worth.

At the same time, there are fair reasons to avoid a reckless commitment. King turns 32 next May, and the Padres already have several players signed to lengthy contracts that extend well beyond their prime years. Handing another player in his 30s an eight-year deal hardly sounds ideal.

We still have to ask the Padres to recognize the obvious. They already found the pitcher they would spend all winter trying to replace. Letting him reach the market would introduce more bidders, more leverage and more uncertainty. Because King previously received a qualifying offer, San Diego cannot attach another one and collect a compensatory pick if he leaves.

The Padres could pay King. They could spend prospects acquiring a lesser replacement. Or they could piece together another rotation and hope somebody else becomes the pitcher King already is.

Only one of those choices makes sense for a franchise trying to win now.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow