Padres' Michael King gets encouraging contract extension update

Padres' Michael King gets encouraging contract extension update originally appeared on The Sporting News

The San Diego Padres have a troublesome rotation when fully healthy, and for the first time this season, such a scenario is playing out. Thanks to Michael King's return to the mound, San Diego has a mostly healthy rotation.

King, like fellow starter Dylan Cease, is set to be a free agent at the year's end. But, despite the potential for his departure, Dennis Lin of The Athletic provided an encouraging update on a potential contract extension.

"Team officials do not foresee much of a chance that Cease, another pending free agent and a Scott Boras client, stays in San Diego." Lin writes. "There is greater hope that King re-ups in the city where his career has taken off."

It's a much more positive outlook than that of Cease's re-sign potential. He's all but confirmed to be departing in the offseason, while King is a much more likely extension candidate in San Diego.

Of the two, King has been better this year, even with his missed time. Cease has a 4.60 ERA this season, while King has a 2.81 ERA in 11 starts for the Padres in 2025.

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A year ago, in 2024, King was incredibly impressive, starting 30 games of the 31 appearances he made, with a very solid 2.95 ERA. Such a strong year earned him Cy Young votes, as he placed 7th in the NL for the award.

He's always been a solid pitcher in his career, but in San Diego, he's blossomed into one of the better starting pitchers in the National League. Even with the injury concerns and lack of starting experience, King is likely to field a strong market in the offseason.

His chances of leaving aren't as high as the odds for Cease to go, but the 30-year-old starter is expected to opt out of his $15 million option and hit the open market following the World Series, regardless of whether he's in it or not.

King will see a strong market, and while San Diego will face some tough competition in an open market, their odds of re-signing King are decent. While there's hope, it's far from a guarantee. But it's a far better situation for San Diego than the one with Cease, who's expected to depart for a massive deal in free agency.

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