The San Diego Padres desperately needed to find starting pitching help and it seemed like they wouldn’t be able to bring back right-hander Michael King after he opted out of his contract.
However, the Padres were able to come to an agreement with King on a three-year, $75 million contract that includes opt-outs after the first and second seasons. The only problem with this deal for the Padres is that they are actively trying to cut payroll. If King has a great season, he will most likely test free agency again.
The question now is, what are the next steps for the Padres this offseason? First base is still vacated with Luis Arraez on the open market and San Diego needs to add more depth everywhere on the diamond. Insider Ken Rosenthal discussed what he’s hearing regarding the Padres’ plans on the Foul Territory show.
“Will the Padres add O’Hearn or Arraez? The Padres need help at first, or they have a vacancy at first base I should say with Arraez a free agent, and O’Hearn certainly was someone who played well there and someone who was a good fit there,” Rosenthal said Monday. “I can see that, for sure. The real questions with the Padres involve their payroll and where they go from here now that they signed Michael King to a three-year, $75 million deal that really is a one-year, $22 million deal; if he does well, he’s probably going to opt out.
“I’m not sure what the Padres are going to do, you never can read A.J. Preller exactly. But, their payroll, at least when you talk to other teams, is something that they are concerned about and something that they are trying to address. It would seem to me, to make further moves, they’re going to have to clear some money. I don’t know who it’s going to be or how they’re going to do it, but A.J. Preller is one of the most creative GMs in the sport, if not the most creative, and he will figure out how to make the resources work for him and put a team together with what he has.”
It’s going to be tough to field a playoff contender while cutting payroll, but the Padres already have a solid team and one that can still win games even with small additions.