Michael King will be staying with the Padres after all.
The 30-year-old free agent has re-signed with the team for three years, as confirmed by the Union-Tribune on Thursday night. If he completes the contract, King stands to earn $75 million, which includes a $12 million signing bonus and a $5 million salary for 2026.
Furthermore, he will receive a $5 million buyout associated with a $28 million player option for 2027, along with a $30 million player option for 2028 that does not include a buyout.
To summarize, King can earn $22 million for one year, $45 million for two years, or $75 million over the three years.
MLB.com was the first to report this agreement, marking the Padres’ initial significant move of a hot-stove season that began with both Dylan Cease and King being major free agents leaving the team.
Cease quickly secured a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Blue Jays, and because he declined a qualifying offer from the Padres, they received a draft pick post-fourth round.
Similarly, King also turned down a qualifying offer.
A crucial part of the Juan Soto trade that brought him to San Diego from the Yankees, King transitioned to a full-time starter after joining the Padres in 2024, ending the season with a 13-9 record, a 2.96 ERA, and 201 strikeouts across 173⅔ innings.
He achieved his first postseason victory, striking out 12 batters in seven shutout innings during Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Braves.
He was set to lead the rotation in 2025, but a nerve issue from sleeping awkwardly on his shoulder disrupted his second season in San Diego.
King was placed on the injured list in mid-May, experienced a knee tweak after one start in August, and missed an additional month before returning for four starts in September.
Those starts were less than stellar (5.74 ERA), which led the Padres to choose Yu Darvish for the Game 3 start in the NL Wild Card Series against the Cubs. However, King came in as relief, striking out three batters in a scoreless inning after an abbreviated outing from Darvish.
Overall, King’s innings pitched dropped by over 100 from 2024 to 2025, possibly influencing his decision to accept another creative contract that may allow him another shot at free agency as early as next season.
Prior to the season, King reached an agreement for $7.75 million to avoid arbitration, which included a $3 million signing bonus atop a $1 million salary and a $3.75 million buyout against a $15 million mutual option.
The $22 million King is set to earn in 2026 closely aligns with the qualifying offer ($22,025,000) he declined last month.
His return significantly strengthens the rotation, which now leads by Nick Pivetta, especially with Cease moving to the Blue Jays and Darvish sidelined for the entire season due to elbow surgery.
