Almost two years ago the Padres made a shocking move by trading Juan Soto to the Yankees. Despite Soto’s talent, it was a move that the Padres needed to make in order to rebuild their pitching staff. The Friars’ main return piece was Michael King. Fast forward to today, Juan Soto is on the Mets, while Michael King is a Cy Young candidate for the Padres.
Michael King’s Padres Tenure
King’s time with the Padres has been nothing short of exceptional. Before he was traded, King was primarily a reliever. In his 2023 season with the Yankees, he appeared in 49 games, but only started in nine of them. Once the Padres made the move to get him, both sides knew that King would need to step up as a starter. Even though King has made the change look easy, it’s difficult to be stretched out and doesn’t always work out.
King recently spoke with Padres beat reporter AJ Cassavell about his transition to becoming a starter on the Padres.
“I think that [pitching coach] Ruben [Niebla] has been incredible for my development. … He knew how to manage my innings, but also make sure that I was strong enough to get through a full season and be strong for the following year. I think [the trade] was great for my development as a starter.”
Michael King was set up to perform well in San Diego. And there’s been a lot of success to show for. Last season, King posted a 2.95 ERA with over 200 strikeouts to finish seventh in NL Cy Young voting. This season, he’s been even better. He currently sits at a 2.22 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP.
While some of his advanced numbers aren’t as high as they were last year, it’s important to realize that King is attacking the strike zone more often. His walk percentage is down almost a full point from 8.7% to 7.9%. It’s clear that his goal is to pitch deeper into ball games. His chase rate and hard hit rates are not at the elite levels they were last season. However, King’s xERA, xBA, and xSLG have all improved this season. Throwing more strikes is working.
Extend Him Now
It would be tough to find a Padres fan who doesn’t want to see Michael King rocking the Brown and Gold next year. So, what does his market look like?
Spotrac lists King’s market value at a 4-year, $72 million deal. I’m sorry, but that is a joke of a contract projection; he’s going to make a lot more. In a recent ESPN article, Jeff Passan had him slated in the $100-$200 million range. That would make much more sense considering how valuable King has been for San Diego.
One deal that has been linked to King’s future deal is the Joe Musgrove deal of 5-years, $100 million. That seemed reasonable last season or even this offseason, but now, it seems highly unlikely.
A better comparison may even be the 6-year, $210 million deal Corbin Burnes received from the Diamondbacks. Before you freak out, I know King is not going to get that exact deal, but it’s more likely that he will get an offer closer to $200 million than $100 million if he hits the open market.
With that said, the Padres’ goal should be clear – don’t let King hit the open market. If there’s a bidding war, it’s far-fetched that the Padres will be able to outbid other teams. The franchise desperately needs Michael King to stay. The best chance for that to happen is if they get a deal done this season. Michael King is going to continue to perform at a high level and raise his value. AJ Preller should be doing everything he can to get a deal done as soon as possible.
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