It was disappointing news for San Diego Padres fans, but it was expected. It was announced on Thursday that starter Michael King declined his player option and will become a free agent for the second consecutive season. The right-hander had a solid bounce back season after his 2025 season was hampered by injury. There was thought that the injury concerns as well as his draft pick compensation by way of the qualifying offer limited his earning potential on the open market.
While King’s decision would
not be considered a surprise in any regard, it still caused concern for the Friar Faithful because he is now arguably the second best starting option on the market behind only Tarik Skubal. That means he will receive a pay raise of some sort, but it seems like the length of the contract is what will be important to the 32-year-old. King had two years and $53 million left on his former contract with the Padres had he opted in to that deal. He would have had another chance to opt out following the 2027 season, so it does not appear the dollar amount was the deciding factor in his case.
The ball now lies squarely in the court of new San Diego owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. They have said since their opening press conference they are committed to bringing a World Series title to San Diego and with King opting out they now have a chance to literally put their money where the mouths are. There is the unknown of the new ownership, which creates an uneasy feeling among the Friar Faithful. Will Feliciano and Jones spend? If they do spend, to what level? The Padres have an exclusive five day window to negotiate with King before he can talk with the remaining MLB teams. It would be quite the statement if he never gets the chance to do so.
San Diego has seen its fair share of bad contracts with long years and big money, but King has shown what he can do and more important what he is willing to do. He started playoff games in 2026 and earned a playoff save with two innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Championship. King has said he wants to be in San Diego, so the two have mutual interest. How authentic that is will be seen in the coming days and potentially weeks or months.
Padres News:
- Kyle Hart had some bright spots in 2026, but he was not as consistent as he or the team would have liked. How did Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball grade his season? Read his breakdown here.
- Xander Bogaerts has shown to be the warning for long-term, big money contracts as he failed to live up to that commitment once again in San Diego. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball looks at what the Friar Faithful should expect from Bogaerts going forward.
- Manny Machado and King were selected as members of the 2026 All-Postseason Team.
Baseball News:
- Here are the best moments from the 2026 MLB playoffs.
- Bo Bichette opts in to another year with the New York Mets.
- The Atlanta Braves exercised their club options on Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies.
- The Athletics traded for Nate Eaton of the Boston Red Sox.
- The Chicago Cubs, like many teams, will be targeting pitching on the free agent market,
