Padres starter Michael King opts out of contract, becomes a free agent

Kevin Acee, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Oct 29, 2026

Published in Baseball

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SAN DIEGO — There had been no doubt. And there was no waiting.

Right out of the gate, on the morning of the first day after the World Series, Michael King opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Padres.

The 31-year-old right-hander will become one of the most coveted free agents on the market.

While King is said to have a strong interest in returning to the Padres for a fourth season, he is widely considered the second-best starting pitcher available in free agency.

That means the competition will be fierce and the price will be high.

King, who was due $58 million over the next two seasons, will receive a $5 million buyout from the Padres. So he walked away from just less than $27 million a year with the idea that he will exceed that over a longer period.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal is expected to fetch a record price exceeding $350 million this offseason. Whether King or Freddy Peralta fall in line directly behind Skubal in the eyes of prospective suitors, they are considered the best of the rest by far in a relatively thin crop of free-agent starters.

King, who was the main piece acquired from the Yankees in the massive Juan Soto trade in December 2023, has a 3.15 ERA over 432 innings for the Padres. In 32 starts in 2026, he had a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings.

This will be King’s second straight winter in free agency.

He returned to the Padres on a three-year, $75 million deal that included the opt-out after testing the market last year.

That foray came after an injury-marred season in which he made just 15 starts and was unable to do more than pitch in relief in the postseason.

He proved in ‘26 that the nerve issue near his shoulder and bone bruise in his left knee were behind him.

In three postseason games (two starts), King allowed one run on five hits and struck out 15 over 14 innings. In 17 starts from July 3 through the NL Division Series, King posted a 2.59 ERA across 100 2/3 innings.

The Padres’ rotation is extremely thin, with Joe Musgrove, Randy Vásquez and JP Sears as the only starting pitchers remaining on the 40-man roster.

The team holds a $14 million option on Nick Pivetta, who has held down one of the top spots in the rotation when he has been healthy the past two seasons. There are concerns, however, about the long-term health of his elbow. The team has until Monday to exercise its option, work out a new deal with Pivetta or allow him to become a free agent.