
Instead of the San Diego Padres flooring the gas to close the gap between themselves and National League contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets this offseason, they’ve now made one of their elite pitchers available for trade.
Padres place frontline starter Michael King on the trade block
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Padres have opened the door for teams to pursue reigning All-MLB Second Team honoree Michael King this winter (h/t Valentina Martinez of San Diego Padres on SI):
“One reason the open market remains clogged is that teams continue to discuss trades,” Rosenthal wrote. “The Seattle Mariners’ Luis Castillo and San Diego Padres’ Dylan Cease and Michael King, for example, are among the starting pitchers who remain in play (King asked for $8.8 million in arbitration and the Padres offered $7.325 million; a hearing appears likely).”

King’s departure would be major blow to Padres rotation
King was outstanding in 2024. He was one of only 11 pitchers who recorded 200-plus strikeouts last season, retiring 201 hitters on the year. The 29-year-old was also a model of efficiency, sporting a 2.95 ERA and 1.192 WHIP for San Diego.
The Padres have been trying to shed salary and upcoming expiring contracts throughout the offseason. That’s played a major factor in the franchise looking to move stars such as ace Dylan Cease and three-time batting champion Luis Arraez — both of whom are slated for unrestricted free agency next fall.
Nevertheless, King’s entry into that mix adds a new dynamic to their offseason plan. San Diego boasts a stout rotation as is, but would take a major hit without their No. 2 option, who has even garnered early predictions to win the 2025 National League Cy Young Award.