The San Diego Padres announced on Friday that they’ve agreed to terms with right-handed starter Michael King on a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2026. The deal allows the two sides to avoid arbitration.
Mark Feinsand reports on the structure:
A mutual option is one in which both parties must agree to the terms in order for it to be exercised. As such, mutual options are rarely exercised.
The 29-year-old King was a key piece on the Padres’ end of the Juan Soto blockbuster with the New York Yankees last offseason. A standout reliever for most of his Yankees tenure, King moved into the rotation late in 2023 and fared well. The Padres used him as a rotation fixture this past season, and he thrived — a 2.95 ERA in 173 2/3 innings, more than 200 strikeouts, and a top-10 finish in the NL Cy Young vote.
King is going into his walk year in 2025, and that’s in part why the Padres are reported to be exploring trade options for him. Now that he’s under contract for the season to come, teams interested in dealing for him know how much he’s going to cost.
Speaking of cost, the structure of the contract — and the fact that King is being shopped at all — reflects the Padres’ current financial uncertainties. Those uncertainties in partial measure flow from the dispute at the top of the organizational hierarchy among late owner Peter Seidler’s heirs and family members. That’s unfortunate for a club that should be very much in contending mode, but it’s not unwelcome for those looking to add a frontline starter like King.
Another Padres impact starter, Dylan Cease, has been the subject of trade rumors. Perhaps, though, the club will resist the temptation to deal with both, which would greatly harm their chances of returning to the postseason in 2025.
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