A surprising offseason twist sees Michael King return to San Diego, securing a unique deal that could reshape the Padres' pitching rotation.
After the MLB Winter Meetings, the rumblings regarding San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King began to slowly pick up.
Teams such as the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees were even rumored to be the finalists for the Michael King sweepstakes.
But, on Thursday night, news broke that King is returning to the Padres on a handsome three-year deal, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
"Breaking: Michael King has agreed to a three-year deal with the Padres, per source. The deal includes player options for 2027 and 2028."
Feinsand also added the contract details shortly after.
"King's deal is for three years and $75M, per source. Includes a $12M signing bonus, then salaries of $5M in 2026, $28M player option in 2027 ($5M buyout), and a $30M player option in 2028 (no buyout). So it will either be worth $22M for one year, $45M for two or $75M for three."
After King and Dylan Cease turned down their qualifying offers, it seemed unlikely that either player would return.
As time went on, the AL teams were linked as favorites for King, but now he returns to San Diego in a stunning twist on Thursday night.
Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, and King's market was a busy one with plenty of teams showing interest.
Yet, here we are.
King was part of the massive blockbuster deal that sent Juan Soto from San Diego to the New York yankees.
In 2024m King went 13-9 with a .295 ERA in 30 starts. In 2025, he missed a lot of time but made 15 starts, going 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA.
With King back, and Joe Musgrove set to return from injury, the rotation is starting to take shape, although Nick Pivetta is a name commonly discussed in trade circles this time around.
Losing Cease and King was set to leave a big hole in the starting rotation, but AJ Preller works his magic again and inks King to a unique three-year deal that could end up being a one-year deal worth $22 million if King opts out after the year.
The Padres have been in need of pitching, and Yu Darvish is out for the 2026 season after having surgery and he could very well be retiring depending on how things go.
Knowing AJ Preller, this could be the first of a plethora of moves for the Padres.