San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) celebrates with San Diego Padres Joe Musgrove (44) after throwing a complete-game two hit shutout against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 13. David Frerker-Imagn Images

Padres Free Agent Linked to Another American League Contender

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Dec 7, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Add another team to Michael King's long list of free agent suitors.

King, who made 15 starts for the Padres during the 2025 regular season and then appeared in one Wild Card game out of the bullpen, became a free agent after the season. Since then, he's found no shortage of teams willing to look past his recent injury history as he eyes a new contract in free agency.

The latest: the Detroit Tigers, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, as they look to bolster a roster that narrowly missed winning its first American League Central title since 2014.

King became a free agent when he declined his side of a $15 million mutual option, then declined the Padres' qualifying offer for 2026. The team that signs King is subject to losing a pick in the 2026 amateur draft under the terms of the qualifying offer.

That apparently isn't deterring Detroit, which Petzold (citing "multiple people with knowledge of the situation") reports is also interested in free agent relievers Kyle Finnegan and Pete Fairbanks.

As noted by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors, the Tigers could have competition for King. He's already been linked in various reports to the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins.

The Blue Jays were undeterred by the qualifying offer rejected by Dylan Cease. The former Padres pitcher joined the defending American League champions on a seven-year, $210 million contract in the first blockbuster signing of free agency.

King has not been as durable as Cease — few pitchers have — and has track record of success as a starter is relatively short. In two seasons with the Padres, King went 46-45 with a 3.72 ERA, striking out 26.8 percent of opponents while walking 8.6 percent.

Those are outstanding ratios. The main question is whether he can bounce back from the shoulder injury that limited him to 73.1 innings in 2025 and keep it up. The Padres were willing to bet at least $22 million — the value of the qualifying offer — that he can.

Clearly, it will cost more than that for the Padres to retain King. In a relatively weak free agent market for starting pitchers, he's one of the best remaining options for teams looking to fill out their rotation, particularly with Cease off the board.

King might not wind up in Detroit, but the Tigers are at least interested in shooting their shot.