Michael King re-signs with Padres

King was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2016, but was traded to the New York Yankees after the 2017 season and made his debut with the Bronx Bombers in 2019. He began to find success in their bullpen from 2021 until 2023, and was a big piece of the Juan Soto trade to the Padres after the 2023 season.

The right-handed pitcher started nine games during the 2023 season, and once traded to the Padres, King became a full-time starter for the first time in his career. His 2024 season was a great one for the righty, as he posted a 2.95 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 173.2 innings pitched, with a 27.7 K% and 8.7 BB%.

King dealt with a few injuries in 2025, limiting him to just 15 starts with the National League West team. Overall, he finished with a 3.44 ERA and 4.42 FIP in 73.1 innings pitched. Thanks to his strong 2024 and great stuff, the Padres extended King a qualifying offer, which he declined. Had he signed with any other team, it would come with losing a draft pick.

Of course, the Toronto Blue Jays were connected to him earlier in the off-season, as even the Sportsnet crew linked the Blue Jays to King and Cody Ponce at the beginning of December. The Jays eventually signed Ponce and with their rotation full, the Jays pivoted to filling other concerns. Last week, they signed Tyler Rogers and are still rumoured to be interested in bringing in a bat, such as Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette.

Still, several other American League East teams were rumoured to be interested in King, so it’s a good thing that he re-signed with the Padres. Time will tell if the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles make any more improvements this off-season.