San Diego Padres Re-Sign Michael King to Three-Year, $75 Million Deal
Somehow unexpected, the San Diego Padres have re-signed their potential ace, inking Michael King on a three-year, $75 million deal.
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Heading into the offseason, the biggest question for the San Diego Padres is: What would the rotation look like on Opening Day?
By the end of the season, it appeared almost certain that Dylan Cease would be pitching elsewhere, and that expectation became reality when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. With Yu Darvish sidelined for the year, the Padres entered the winter staring at a rotation anchored by Nick Pivetta and not much else to work with.
With San Diego’s most recent signing, the rotation now appears far more secure. While additional moves are still needed, this represents a significant step in the right direction.
On Thursday night, we got word from Mark Feinsand that the Padres agreed to a deal with right-hander Michael King.
A Necessary Signing
If the Padres wanted to contend at all this coming season, retaining King was paramount. That is exactly what A.J. Preller accomplished, handing King a three-year, $75 million contract.
The contract is a complex one, as King has a pair of opt-outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. It is outlined as a one-year, $17 million deal with two player options valued at $28 million for 2027 and $30 million for 2028. If King exercises his opt-out after the 2026 season, he will collect a $5 million buyout, making his one-year guarantee $22 million.
Since being acquired in the Juan Soto mega-deal, King has been an integral part of the Padres’ rotation over the past two seasons. In his first year as a full-time starter, he posted a 2.95 ERA with 201 strikeouts in 2024, firmly establishing himself as a frontline arm.
His 2025 campaign was far rougher, as a nerve issue in his right shoulder and inflammation in his knee sidelined him for nearly half the season. Even so, King went 5–3 with a 3.44 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 73.1 innings in the injury-shortened year.
There is an undeniable risk attached to this signing, particularly if those injuries continue to linger. But if you are the Padres, it is a risk worth taking. Though the sample size was small, King’s dominant performance in the Wild Card Series was a reminder of just how lethal he can be when fully healthy.
The Current State of the Rotation
As of right now, the Padres have No. 1 in King back. He will be the Opening Day starter barring injury.
Behind him is Nick Pivetta, who is coming off a career year in 2025. He finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting with a 2.87 ERA in 181.2 innings.
After the top two, this is where things start to get interesting. Fan favorite and San Diego native Joe Musgrove will be fully recovered from elbow surgery. From 2021 to 2024, he has owned a 3.20 ERA in 559.1 innings. However, that was when he was healthy.
Slotting in at the number three spot in the rotation, it will remain to be seen if Musgrove can return to what he was, which was a top-of-the-rotation arm. After him would most likely be Randy Vasquez.
Vasquez showed flashes of being a serviceable, end-of-the-rotation kind of guy. He has this innate ability to severely outperform his expected metrics, leaving some concern for regression. Regardless, he’s shown enough to be a comfortable fourth starter.
The options for the fifth starter are questionable to say the least. Tristan McKenzie was signed on Thursday afternoon, but he has a long history of injuries and poor play. However, I can’t count out Ruben Niebla’s ability to revive a pitcher.
JP Sears and Kyle Hart, both lefties, offer nothing to be excited about and could very well float from the minors and the big leagues.
Final Thoughts
This is a major sigh of relief for all Padres fans. The task of filling out the rotation just became exponentially easier with King back on the roster.
There is a real chance for this to be one of the better rotations if Musgrove can get back to form and if McKenzie or Vasquez takes a step forward.
Payroll had loomed as a concern for many on the outside, but the organization has continued to signal its willingness to invest in the roster. King’s signing is the clearest proof yet. While the rotation still lacks depth, it feels far more stable—and far less uncertain—than it did just a day ago.
Even with the rotation taking shape, the front office still has work to do. Adding another back-end starter remains a priority, and the Padres would benefit from an additional bat at first base or designated hitter, along with a versatile utility player.
There is a lot of time between now and Spring Training, and with rumors of another Preller mega-deal in the works, it will be fascinating to see how everything plays out.
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Ethan is an aspiring sports analyst who has a passion for all sports. He was a collegiate baseball player and is now finishing up his schooling…