The qualifying number for MLB free agents was announced earlier this week and according to a report from the Associated Press is set at $22,025,000, which is up from $21.05 million in 2025. Following the conclusion of the 2025 World Series, 20 days will determine who receives qualifying offers and who accepts their qualifying offer.
The San Diego Padres have a handful of players set to be free agents at the end of the MLB season. Pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King will be the two current Padres,
who can expect the biggest paydays in free agency. With that being said, San Diego should make qualifying offers to both players because the expectation is that neither with accept. It would not be the worst problem to have if they did, but it would be as surprising as Mike Shildt announcing his retirement after back-to-back 90-win seasons.
Cease had a down year and never seemed to find the rhythm that he often discussed when questioned by reporters about his struggles. He was second on the team in innings pitched at 168, but he led the team with 215 strikeouts. Cease stumbled to an 8-12 record with a 4.55 ERA. He made 32 starts and racked up strikeouts as he often does, but the record and ERA leave much to be desired from a pitcher who is looking to get paid like a No. 1 starter. With that being the case, accepting a qualifying offer and returning to form on a one-year deal in San Diego might not be the worst idea.
King was injured for a significant part of the season, and with past injury concerns, he too might benefit from another year with the Padres. King only completed 73.1 innings in 15 starts. He finished with a 5-3 record with a 3.44 ERA and 76 strikeouts. King was one of two San Diego pitchers to throw a complete game shutout and the other pitcher to do so, Stephen Kolek, is now a member of the Kansas City Royals.
It would seem that Cease is destined for free agency, especially since his agent is Scott Boras, and he is known for taking his clients to market. At the beginning of the 2025 season, there were reports that the Padres would like to bring back Cease or King, but more recently reports have said that San Diego would like to bring King back on a multi-year deal. It’s almost impossible to know if signing Cease or King is a possibility because reports about the Padres’ payroll flexibility vary and are speculative since the team does not talk about its finances.
By making qualifying offers to Cease and King, the Padres could see one or both players return, but that is highly unlikely based on recent prices for free agent pitchers – see Max Fried last offseason. At the very least, by making a qualifying offer to Cease and King, San Diego will receive draft compensation if the pitchers chose to sign with other teams.
Will the Padres make the offers and who will be making the decision, that remains to be seen.
