Michael King is re-signing with the Padres on a three-year, $75 million deal with two opt outs.
The deal is backloaded, so King will make $22 million if he opts out after 2026 or $45 million if he opts out after 2027. It’s a little odd he allowed it to be structured that way, given that he didn’t seem to have a shortage of suitors, but it suggests San Diego is where he wanted to be all along. The Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Orioles were also thought to be interested in him. The 30-year-old right-hander finished seventh in NL Cy Young Award balloting back in 2024 but was limited to 15 starts this past season due to shoulder and knee issues, recording a strong 3.44 ERA — 4.42 FIP — and 76/26 K/BB ratio across 73 1/3 innings. He’s a top-30 range fantasy starter heading into drafts next spring.