Starting pitcher Michael King opted out of his $32 million player option for 2027 with the San Diego Padres and will become a free agent, according to reports.
In their ranking of the top 50 free agents in Major League Baseball this offseason, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman placed King as the fifth-best player available and third-best starting pitcher behind Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta.
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King, who will turn 32 on May 25, compiled a 3.21 ERA this past season, ranking 10th among National League starters. He finished with a 12-10 record in 32 starts with 159 strikeouts in 185 innings.
That rate of 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings is King’s lowest since becoming a full-time starting pitcher in 2024 after joining the Padres as part of the package the New York Yankees traded for Juan Soto.
King also had a strong postseason, making two starts in which he allowed 1 run with 14 strikeouts in 12 innings versus the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Division Series. The right-hander also made a relief appearance in Game 3, pitching 2 innings to earn the save in San Diego’s lone win.
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For his career, King has a 3.23 ERA in 143 appearances (96 starts) with a strikeout rate of 9.5 per nine frames. He pitched three seasons with the Padres, preceded by five years with the Yankees.
The eight-year veteran signed a three-year, $75 million contract last December that included opt-outs after the first two seasons. King leaves $66 million behind after choosing free agency, though he receives a $5 million buyout. Obviously, he feels he will make more on the open market amid a mediocre class of starting pitchers.
Unless King re-signs with the Padres, their starting rotation is thin as the offseason begins with Robbie Ray, Casey Mize, Lucas Giolito and Walker Buehler all free agents. Yu Darvish has two years remaining on his contract, but is considering retirement.
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