The San Diego Padres handed bad news to several teams as they agreed to a three-year, $75-million contract with the right-hander, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Moreover, the deal includes opt-outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
King had a record of 5-3 with an ERA of 3.44 and 76 strikeouts in 15 appearances in 2025, per StatMuse. Furthermore, he will look to bounce back in 2026 as he aims to stay healthy.
San Diego are keeping the veteran pitcher, showing that the team will try to compete again in 2026 and challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West Division. Nonetheless, the Padres did spoil other teams’ hopes that King would want to move to the East Coast.
On December 16, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that Michael King seems most likely to sign next, with suitors including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets.
Mets Needed Padres’ Michael King
The Mets’ president of baseball operations, David Stearns, is shaping the team into his vision this offseason. Nonetheless, that has led to key departures such as Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo.
Stearns has added the likes of Devin Williams and Jorge Polanco this winter, but Emmanuel Berbari of SNY wanted the Mets to win this race, noting that it would have been Step 1 in improving their starting rotation.
“I‘ve been pounding the table all offseason for Michael King because I think the Mets need a starting point,” Berbari said on the December 18 edition of “Baseball Night in New York.“ “This is the foundation, and then you build, you layer up from there. If you want to swing a trade for a bigger starting pitcher, you can, but start with the free-agent market, and you’re telling me that for Framber Valdez, he may not get six or seven years.
“I think Michael King is probably available for two or three [years], reportedly at most. For Michael King, who has a subside, he’s probably a three-starter on a real championship team, a two-starter on this current Mets team. He’s got nasty stuff, wants to be in New York, and the Mets love picking up their former Yankees.”
The Yankees Lose Out on Michael King
The Mets weren’t the only New York team keen on King, as the Yankees wanted to reunite with the veteran.
“Stud, not surprising [what he did with the Padres],” manager Aaron Boone said last week at the winter meetings (h/t The New York Post). “The thing about Kinger is he’s got obviously great stuff and a great arsenal. He’s really smart and has a real good understanding of that stuff. It’s allowed him to evolve as a pitcher, coupled with his confidence.
“That’s a powerful thing when you got stuff, the ability to learn and understand what you’re doing, and then the confidence to go do it. So I’m not surprised he went to that level. Obviously had some injuries this past year that slowed him a little bit, but he’s really good when he’s out there.”
Padres Give Mets, Yankees Bad News Over Michael King: Report