The Padres were dispatched by the Brewers in the NLDS, despite the efforts of Michael King. The right-hander tossed five innings of one-run ball in Game 2. He came back two days later and picked up a two-inning save in Game 3. He was supposedly available in Game 4, too.
King will be a key domino for San Diego this offseason. He holds a $28MM player option for the 2027 campaign. If he opts out, he’ll be owed a $5MM buyout. King also has a $30MM player option for 2028. After Wednesday’s loss, the veteran right-hander discussed his looming decision.
“San Diego’s been—been incredible for me, and it’s all the way across the country from home,” King told reporters, including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “But now I feel like I have a—a second home on the West Coast, so it’s been awesome. And yeah, I hope to—hope to continue.”
Lingering health questions following an abbreviated 2025 season shaped King’s venture into free agency. He ultimately re-signed with the Padres after rejecting their qualifying offer. King was able to secure a deal that gave him a safety net if injuries struck again this year, along with the flexibility to pursue a longer-term contract if he remained healthy.
King delivered the biggest workload of his career in 2026. He set career highs in starts (32) and innings pitched (185). The righty tacked on 14 more frames in the playoffs. King provided stability to a staff crushed by injuries and poor performance this season. San Diego had to lean heavily on its elite bullpen due to question marks in the rotation. King was the only starter to complete five innings during the team’s playoff run.
While the volume was strong, King’s production fell off in multiple areas. His strikeout rate tumbled to 21%, while his walk rate rose to 9.2%. His swinging-strike rate dropped to 10.2%. King managed a 3.21 ERA in large part due to a .259 BABIP and a left-on-base rate above 80%. His xERA, xFIP, and SIERA were all between 4.30 and 4.40.
King is entering his age-32 season. He ranked seventh in the final edition of our Free Agent Power Rankings. He’s the fourth pitcher on the board, behind Tarik Skubal, Trevor Rogers, and Freddy Peralta. There’s a solid chance King could improve on the three-year, $75MM commitment he received from the Padres in his most recent trip through free agency. He proved his health this season and won’t have the qualifying offer attached to him this time around.
An opt-out seems like the most likely scenario, but that doesn’t mean King won’t end up back in San Diego. The Padres could re-sign him once again on a reworked agreement. Bringing King back would be a huge boost to an uncertain 2027 rotation. Walker Buehler and trade deadline acquisition Robbie Ray are both free agents. Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito have mutual options that are unlikely to be picked up by the team. Joe Musgrove returned in the playoffs after missing each of the last two regular seasons. It’s a unit that will need plenty of work this offseason.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images
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