Padres Insider Reveals Unfortunate Michael King, Dylan Cease Free Agency Update

Cease was always going to earn a pretty penny due to his fastball-slider combination that makes hitters miss and having an ace-level track record, but now King is positioning himself to earn front-of-the-rotation money as well.

Dennis Lin of The Athletic believes that if King continues to perform as he has, then the Padres might be forced to replace both of their key rotation pieces.

"I think the Padres will make an effort to keep King, but with another season of front-line production, there’s a good chance the team will have to replace both of its best starters," Lin wrote in a mailbag article for The Athletic.

A nine-figure, multi-year deal was always likely headed towards Cease; however, now that he has struggled with control issues and walks recently, he may end up getting a $100 million deal rather than $200 million.

King has made a significant leap a quarter into the season, generating 1.3 WAR, a 2.32 ERA, and showcasing an impressive 27.9% strikeout ratio as well.

His fastball consistently sits at just under 94 mph, and his expected ERA remains impressive at 3.11, indicating that his performance has not relied significantly on external variables; rather, he is simply pitching at a high level.

His starts all tend to last five innings, and he rarely has to be relieved early in a game. Instead, he goes deep and helps the bullpen get some rest.

If he keeps performing at this level, the Padres will need to replace both of their key starters, which will be a difficult task for A.J. Preller and Co.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.