Padres' Michael King Addresses Upcoming Free Agency Following 2025 Season

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Michael King is not focused on his future in free agency. Instead, the 29-year-old is prioritizing making a lasting impact on his teammates — regardless if this is his last season with the Padres.

“I know (Aaron Judge) turned down an extension going into his last year,” King said to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. “His whole thing was: He was going to make the person next to him the best player that they could be. And all he was going to do was try to care about wins.

“Once you finish 162 — or hopefully more in the playoffs — then you can actually look up and figure out what's happening in free agency. So I’m taking it game by game, trying to make every starter around me as good as they can be and trying to win as many games as possible."

This offseason, King agreed to a one-year deal with the Padres and it includes a mutual option for 2026. The Padres and King were headed for arbitration had the two parties not reached a settlement.

The right-hander was involved in trade rumors this winter, but so was fellow starter Dylan Cease, who seemed to be the more likely to be traded. Nevertheless, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller made it clear that the Padres intended to at least start the season with their rotation intact.

The Padres have their best chance of reaching the postseason with both King and Cease in the rotation. King has emerged as the team's ace in 2025 as he is sporting a 2.22 ERA with 48 strikeouts and a 0.985 WHIP.

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