Michael King Declines Player Option

Right-hander Michael King has declined his 2027 player option, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He is now a free agent. Like the other 2026-27 free agents, King has a five-day window where he can only sign with his previous club, which is the Padres in King’s case. Those players will be free to sign with any club at 4:00 pm Central time on November 2.

King was a free agent last winter. He had posted strong results from 2023 through 2025 but went into the open market with questions about his health. Shoulder and knee injuries hampered him in the latter portions of the 2025 campaign. Due to the uncertainty with his health, he re-signed with the Padres on a relatively short pact but one that gave him the flexibility to re-enter free agency.

It was technically a three-year, $75MM guarantee. That broke down as a $12MM signing bonus, a $5MM salary in 2026, a $28MM player option for 2027 with a $5MM buyout, followed by a $30MM player option for 2028.

King went on to stay healthy in 2026. He threw 185 innings over 32 starts. His 3.21 earned run average was a slight improvement over his 3.44 mark in 2025. His strikeout and walk rates moved in the wrong direction but he got more ground balls. He then posted a 0.64 ERA over three postseason appearances.

That made this a fairly easy decision for King. He’ll take the $5MM buyout, leaving $53MM on the table. He was able to earn himself $75MM last time out while his health was in a questionable state. He has put those injury concerns to rest and should have more earning power this time, even though he’s a year older. The free agent market for starting pitchers is topped by Tarik Skubal but King will be in the next tier alongside guys like Trevor Rogers, Freddy Peralta and Kaima Taira. A multi-year deal with a guarantee in the range of $100MM could be possible.

King has expressed a fondness for San Diego and seems willing to return. The Padres undoubtedly want him back as well. They are losing Walker Buehler, Robbie Ray, Casey Mize, Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito to free agency. They will have to decide whether or not to exercise a club option on Nick Pivetta after his injury-marred season. It’s unclear if Joe Musgrove can work as a starter next year after his recovery from Tommy John surgery dragged on through 2026.

On paper, the 2027 rotation in San Diego consists of Randy Vásquez, JP Sears, Jhony Brito and perhaps Musgrove and/or Pivetta. It’s not a strong group, so the Padres will be looking to bring in multiple starters this winter. There will surely be talks between the Friars and King but both parties will also have to consider alternatives as well.