The San Diego Padres brought back Michael King on a three-year contract, looking to finally unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason. Without Dylan Cease alongside him in the rotation, a lot of pressure will be on King this season. Bob Scanlan of the Padres' television broadcast has the latest on Michael King's bullpen, which will have fans fired up.
“Good bullpen session for King today. Seems shaper with movement and location of pitches this year than at this same time previous two springs. [Maybe] just my perception, but feels that way to me, especially to glove side, which can be tougher to dial in with his cross fire action,” Scanlan reported.
If this is the best spring training that King has had in his time with the Padres, fans could be in for a great season. In 46 appearances, he has a 3.10 ERA and 18 wins. King missed nearly three months with a shoulder injury, and then made just one start before a knee injury wiped out a month.
The Padres were able to get King back on a discount because of the injuries in 2025. While the rest of the rotation is not great, especially with uncertainty around Yu Darvish's future. But King is the ace, and has numbers from the past that prove he can play that role.
If King does have a great season, he could opt out of the final two years of his contract and hit free agency again. If he leaves the $32 million on the table after the 2026 season, he could sign one last long-term deal. But if he takes the option, he would get another option in 2028.
The Padres may be heading into the season with high expectations, but they will need a great year from King to reach those heights.
