US EditionPitcher Michael King Returning to Padres on $75-Million Deal
- On Dec 18, 2025, MLB.com reported that right-hander Michael King agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract with the San Diego Padres, a deal the Union-Tribune confirmed Thursday night.
- Because he declined a qualifying offer last month, King’s 2025 injury-limited season and workload drop of more than 100 innings helped shape a cautious, creative contract.
- Per sources, the contract includes opt-outs after the first two seasons and a $5 million buyout tied to the 2027 player option, with a $12 million signing bonus and salaries of $5 million in 2026, $28 million in 2027, and $30 million in 2028.
- With Dylan Cease having left and Yu Darvish sidelined, Michael King's return fills a key vacancy in a rotation that lost Cease and will be without Darvish due to elbow surgery.
- Longer term, the move carries no draft-pick cost for San Diego, with King ranked as the 17th-best free agent and sixth-best starter despite injury risk framing the deal.
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Michael King re-signs with Padres on another creative deal
Michael King is staying put after all. The Padres re-signed their 30-year-old free agent to a three-year deal, the Union-Tribune confirmed Thursday night. King will make $75 million if he plays out the entirety of a contract that includes a $12 million signing bonus on top of a $5 million salary for 2026. Additionally, he’ll get a $5 million buyout against a $28 million player option for 2027 and a $30 million player option without a buyout for …
Red Sox free agent target (with local ties) re-signs with Padres on $75M deal
Even after trading for starters Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo earlier in the offseason, the Red Sox kept tabs on free agent right-hander Michael King. King — who attended high school in Rhode Island and pitched at Boston College — had major interest in coming to Boston but instead will return to the city he has called home for the past two seasons.
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- 48% of the sources lean Left, 47% of the sources are Center
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