The San Diego Padres are entering a season full of mysteries. After being relatively inactive for most of the offseason, they beefed up their pitching by signing starters Nick Pivetta and Kyle Hart. With their financial situation tight-roped, there have been rumors swirling about them potentially moving at least one of Dylan Cease or Michael King.
Padres will likely keep Dylan Cease and Michael King
However, it appears that San Diego has changed course and is more likely to keep both frontline starters at least for the start of the season. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres now feel more “inclined” to hold onto both Cease and King and make them key parts of the rotation.
“Team and league sources indicated Wednesday night that the Padres currently are inclined to hang on to Cease, a pending free agent, and enter the upcoming season with a rotation led by Cease, Michael King, Yu Darvish and Pivetta,” Lin wrote. “While that does not preclude the possibility of another team overwhelming the Padres with a trade offer for Cease, a deal involving closer Robert Suarez remains at least a decent possibility. Suarez is owed $10 million in 2025 and can opt out after the season. The Padres, still seeking to trim some payroll, believe they could field an effective bullpen even if they end up moving him.”
As Lin noted, Cease is due to hit the open market after this season and is set to make $13.7 million from the Padres this season. San Diego has been keen on shedding some of their payroll this year and moving on from Cease prior to him likely receiving a massive contract in free agency would be an effective way of doing so.
The right-hander is one of the top pitchers in the sport and one of the most durable. The six-year veteran has made at least 32 starts in each of the last four seasons and has some of the best strikeout stuff in baseball. This past season, he posted a 3.47 ERA and struck out 224 batters in 189.1 innings pitched.
King quickly became an important pitcher for the Padres last season
As for King, he is another pitcher who could hit the open market next season. The 30-year-old is set to make $7.75 million from the Padres this season, and he has quickly blossomed into a top arm in their rotation.
His first year with the Padres was last season after being acquired in the Juan Soto deal with the New York Yankees. King made 30 starts in his first season as a full-time starter and posted a 2.95 ERA with a 13-9 record and 201 strikeouts across 173.2 innings pitched.
With Joe Musgrove expected to miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Padres will be ultra-dependent on Cease and King to help them make a deep run. They will need all the pitching they can get to shut down the potent Los Angeles Dodgers offense in their division.
It is unclear what the future holds for both Cease and King, but it seems certain that they will remain in San Diego at least to begin the season.