Padres right-handed starter Michael King, after the Padres’ elimination from the postseason by the Milwaukee Brewers, expressed optimism about a potential return to San Diego this winter. King is 31 years old and posted a 3.21 ERA this year in San Diego, with 159 strikeouts in 185 innings and a 1.18 WHIP.
King told Jeff Sanders, a reporter for the San Diego Tribune, that his “option is a future decision,” but that he’s been upfront all along about what San Diego has meant to him: “This is where I started a family,” King told Sanders. King went on to tell Sanders that being on the West Coast “has felt like a second home to him” and added, “so it’s been awesome. And yeah, I would hope it continues,” King told Sanders. King re-signed with the Padres last offseason on a three-year $75 million contract that included player opt-outs for the first two seasons (2027, 2028).
King’s Future In San Diego Currently Uncertain
While King’s future in San Diego is currently up in the air, he had a solid 2026 campaign with the Padres and pitched very well in the postseason, compiling a 0.64 ERA in three games. King pitched seven shutout innings against the Cubs in game one of the Wild Card, and pitched five innings of one-run ball in game two against the Milwaukee Brewers, which the Padres would go on to lose dramatically due to a walk-off two-run base hit in the bottom of the ninth from Jackson Chourio off Padres electric closer Mason Miller.
King then threw 40 pitches in two innings out of the bullpen in game three to secure a Padres 4-3 win after starting just two days prior, because closer Mason Miller was placed on the paternity list and was therefore not available to pitch. King had a solid market as a starter last offseason, and he probably will again this offseason if he opts out of his three-year deal with the Padres. The Yankees traded King to the Padres in the 2023-24 offseason, and the Yankees acquired Juan Soto and Trent Grisham in return.
King Has Been Reliable Starting Pitcher In This League
King was a durable pitcher for the Yankees back then, and he’s been durable for the Padres over the past three years in San Diego. It will be interesting to see if the mutual relationship between the Padres and King continues. King supposedly loves San Diego, and the Padres love him, as shown by their financial commitment. But King has to decide if he wants to test the open market again this winter. The Padres are also under new ownership with Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano. Do the Padres still pursue King if he decides to opt out?
It’s also important to remember that Major League Baseball and the players’ union are facing a lockout this offseason, so how will that affect the free agency market and King’s decision in the coming weeks?
Michael King Gets Honest About Potential Future With The Padres