San Diego Padres secure right-hander Michael King with a three-year, $75 million contract extension, adding a crucial piece to their starting rotation.

The Padres were eager to strengthen their starting rotation this offseason, and they didn’t have to look far to find the answer. MLB’s official site reports that right-hander Michael King has agreed to a three-year contract with San Diego. The deal totals $75 million and features opt-out clauses following the first two seasons. Although the team has yet to make an official announcement, sources indicate King has passed his physical, with the signing expected to be finalized tomorrow.

According to Mark Feinsand, the MLB.com reporter who first broke the news, King will receive a $12 million signing bonus paid over three years, a $5 million salary for the 2026 season, $28 million in 2027 (with a $5 million buyout if he opts out), and $30 million in 2028 with no buyout. Essentially, this contract could be viewed as $22 million for one year, $45 million for two years, or $75 million for the full three-year term.

During his past two seasons with the Padres, King has developed into an ace-caliber starting pitcher. His first five professional seasons were primarily spent as a reliever with the New York Yankees, but after being traded in the deal involving Juan Soto to the Padres, King posted an impressive 3.10 ERA over 46 appearances (45 starts), also showing solid performances in three postseason outings.

Earlier this offseason, King declined the Padres’ qualifying offer of $22.05 million for one year. This meant that if he signed elsewhere, the Padres would receive draft pick compensation. Losing one of their best pitchers would have been a blow, but now the Padres have retained King with a guaranteed $75 million contract—if he opts out after one year, his earnings will be roughly equivalent to the original qualifying offer.

King’s return is a major boost for a Padres rotation in need of reinforcement. This offseason, right-hander Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays via free agency (which will net the Padres draft pick compensation). Meanwhile, Japanese pitcher Darvish Yu will miss the entire 2026 season following elbow surgery, and his future pitching career remains uncertain.

With 30-year-old King confirmed to stay, the Padres’ rotation is beginning to take shape. Last season’s ace Nick Pivetta started Game 1 of the playoffs and, despite recent trade rumors, is likely to remain with the team. Additionally, Joe Musgrove is expected to return from Tommy John surgery.

The Padres’ rotation currently looks like this:

• Nick Pivetta
• Michael King
• Joe Musgrove
• Randy Vásquez
• JP Sears

However, there are still concerns about depth. Sears struggled last season, and with the Padres recently trading away several high-level starting pitching prospects, options beyond the core are quite limited. Clearly, further strengthening is still necessary.

Remaining reinforcements should mainly focus on the back end of the rotation—potentially adding another fifth starter and one or two bullpen options. (The Padres also recently signed former Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie to a minor league contract.)

By signing King, the Padres have secured a vital piece for their front-end rotation. King has tremendous growth potential and, when healthy, has consistently been one of the league’s top starters. His transition to a starter began late in the 2023 season with the Yankees. Over 64 career starts, he holds a 3.35 ERA and averages 10 strikeouts per nine innings. His diverse pitch arsenal is a significant advantage—he can mix two types of fastballs with a changeup, cutter, and a slider that has notable horizontal movement, each pitch having a distinct trajectory.

King has generally performed very well as a starter, but in 2025 he suffered two significant injuries: first, a right shoulder nerve issue that affected his strength, followed by a knee injury during rehab. These setbacks caused him to miss nearly four months, and his performance after returning in September was clearly below his best.

These injury concerns may have impacted King’s market value in free agency. However, no team understands King better than the Padres, who are pleased to have retained him.

King’s signing was somewhat unexpected—it marks the Padres’ first major move this offseason, despite rumors linking him with several East Coast teams. The Padres still need to add one or two back-end starters and at least one hitter, likely a first baseman. After committing significant funds to keep King, it remains to be seen if the team will need to clear salary space through trades to address other needs. Of course, general manager AJ Preller is known for his active trading approach, which may be the path forward.

In any case, the Padres’ first key offseason piece is now in place, and their starting rotation plans have become much clearer.