Padres watch new AL Central contender enter the race for Michael King

With Dylan Cease off the table, the Padres' only shot of retaining one of their starting pitchers from last year is by coming to terms with Michael King. 

While he is willing to sign on a shorter contract in terms of length, his AAV will remain the same, which could deter the Padres. Another massive issue is that he has so many potential landing spots, and that’s because teams see him as both a starter and a reliever.

The Athletic listed nine teams that have interest in the 30-year-old right-hander, but one team in particular has gained traction and might make a move during the winter meetings.

Detroit Tigers emerge as real threat to Padres’ hopes of keeping Michael King

It is very much possible, as King is coming off an injury-riddled 2025 campaign during which he only made 15 starts and posted a 3.44 ERA. The lack of playing time could force him to settle on a short-term contract, which is something that Detroit would dream of being able to do. After all, they signed World Series champion Jack Flaherty to a two-year contract last offseason.

If Detroit were to bring in King, it would pair back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal with an exceptional second-to-third guy in the rotation.

Or, if the Tigers really wanted to go crazy, they could move King to the bullpen as a guy who would give them quality innings. Detroit desperately needs relief pitching, as Will Vest remains the only high-leverage guy in the pen for 2026, as Kyle Finnigan is set to depart in free agency.

Unlike Cease, the Padres have a valid shot at bringing back King. However, they need to be willing to hit the market value which he desires. President of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, has a hefty list of tasks he needs to get settled this winter, and finding out what’s going to happen with King is one of them.

Aside from that, he has to determine whether or not to bring back Luis Arráez or Ryan O’Hearn, and if not, who is going to play first/second base.

Lastly, he is met with the question of whether it would be wise to bring in a second catcher, either via free agency or by trade. Preller is tasked with trying to ensure that 2026 isn’t a rebuild year, and these are all questions that need to be addressed as soon as possible.

The 2025 Winter Meetings kick off on Dec. 7, and we will likely learn more about what will happen with King, along with every other unrestricted free agent then.