Who fits best as Padres long-term rotation piece: Michael King or Dylan Cease?

The core players on the San Diego Padres are pretty much in it for the long haul besides two starting pitchers. Dylan Cease and Michael King will both be free agents this upcoming offseason, and it's likely that only one of them would remain in San Diego.

Which one is the better option? Cease and King each have their pros and cons, and it will depend on a number of factors.

AJ Preller has tough call on whether Padres re-sign Dylan Cease or Michael King

At the 2025 trade deadline, the Friars ultimately decided to hang on to Cease, who was in the middle of tons of rumors. This doesn't signify that the Padres favor Cease over King, but it hinted that they have more faith in him than initially thought.

"The idea of the Padres bringing back both Cease and King seems like a long shot, although they figure to try re-signing one of the starters. Executives were split as to which pitcher they would try to sign; Cease is the more durable arm, but King’s upside when healthy is higher," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand said.

It's no question that Cease is having a down year. The 29-year-old is posting career-worsts in ERA and ERA+, but his strikeout rate and whiff rate are still among the best in baseball. He is on pace for his fifth-straight 200-plus strikeout season, so he's dominance has shown no sign of slowing down despite getting hit around more often. Cease will also likely ask for money than King, and that could honestly be the difference-maker regardless of ability and durability.

King, on the other hand, has been on the injured list multiple times this season. This isn't a great indicator of what his health will look like in his 30s. However, there is much less mileage on King's arm than Cease's, plus his ERA been south of 3.00 for four straight seasons.

Those factors, plus likely costing less than Cease, might have the Padres prefer King. Either way, both right-handers come with risks, and also with tremendous upside. Preller and his staff will have a difficult decision to make.