Padres’ Michael King could earn a lucrative deal in free agency

The San Diego Padres will be faced with a decision on starting pitcher Michael King this offseason. The frontline Padres starter will enter free agency upon this season’s conclusion, and will likely have strong market value across the league.

King was part of the return deal in the now infamous trade that sent Juan Soto from the Padres to the New York Yankees in December 2023. After being one of the best relief pitchers in baseball with the Yankees, King has re-invented himself as one of the top starting pitchers in the sport since arriving in San Diego. 

Injuries have hindered King’s value despite his strong performance 

In two seasons with the Padres, King is pitching to a 3.20 ERA, with a 17-12 record and 270 strikeouts in 239.1 innings of work. This season, he’s pitching to a 3.84 ERA with a 4-3 record, but has dealt with numerous injuries that have kept him off the field. 

Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Mintz named King amongst the top 25 free agents available this winter, but is concerned about his lengthy injury history that spans back to his time with the Yankees as well.

“I’m officially worried about King,” Mintz said. “San Diego is light on starting pitching, which means King should get a playoff start barring another injury. But he still needs to prove that he’s healthy for a team to go all-in. I wouldn’t be shocked by a short-term, high-value deal with opt-outs.”

For now, King will continue to help the Padres on their quest towards a deep playoff run this year. The Padres are comfortably in possession of the second Wild Card spot in the NL as the season winds down.