Report: Padres, King agree to 3-year, $75M contract

Michael King is staying in San Diego.

The Padres agreed to a three-year, $75-million contract with the right-hander Thursday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The deal includes opt outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

King's return helps alleviate some concern regarding the Padres' rotation. Both he and Dylan Cease were free agents this offseason, while Yu Darvish is set to miss all of 2026 after elbow surgery. King will slot back in at the top of the rotation alongside Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, who is set to return after missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery.

The 30-year-old King is coming off an injury-plagued season that limited him to 73 1/3 innings. He twice landed on the IL with shoulder and knee inflammation. When King did pitch, he posted a 3.44 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts over 15 starts.

King's best season came in 2024 - his first as a full-time starter. He finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting after authoring a 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 201 strikeouts over 173 2/3 innings.

The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees were reportedly among the interested teams, but the unique contract structure the Padres offered allowed the club to re-sign him.

King, who was attached to a qualifying offer, now has the opportunity to enter the market after either of the next two seasons should he choose. The three-year deal also provides some security for King should he struggle, or deal with injuries once again. Both King and Pivetta have the ability to opt out at the end of the 2026 season.

Padres president of baseball operations A. J. Preller has reportedly been involved in numerous trade talks this winter as he tries to navigate a roster with a number of holes and some payroll restraints.