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Inside The Mets

Perfect Mets Free Agent Target Just Became Available

After declining his player option to become a free agent, should the Mets look to pursue this highly coveted free agent?
Logan VanDine|
New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

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New York Mets

The MLB offseason is officially upon us and the New York Mets are expected to be very busy.

After a second straight disappointing season, the Mets have a lot of work to do this winter, as their previous offseason moves backfired and contributed to the club finishing last in the NL East for the first time since 2003.

New York is expected to address multiple areas on its roster, in particular, its starting pitching rotation, in trying to add an ace to go along with their three young promising arms, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton.

While Tarik Skubal will be the prized free agent this offseason that many teams, including the Mets, will show their interest in, the Amazins' could also be a great fit for this free agent to help bolster their rotation.

Michael King could be great fit for Mets rotation in 2027

Michael King is now a free agent.
Aug 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King (34) looks out from the dugout after being taken out against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Less than 24 hours after the World Series ended, several MLB players became free agents after opting out of their contracts. One of those players was right-handed starter Michael King.

King opted out of the final two years of the three-year, $75 million contract he signed with the San Diego Padres in December 2025 to seek a long-term contract. The 31-year-old is coming off an exceptional 2026 campaign for San Diego.

Across a career-high 32 starts, King posted a 12-10 record with a 3.21 ERA, 159 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.18 across a career-high 185 innings pitched. King was also stellar for the Padres in the postseason.

In Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, the righty hurler held the Chicago Cubs hitless through the first 6 1/3innings and struck out eight batters. King also held the Milwaukee Brewers hitless through the first 4 2/3 innings in his next outing, Game 2 of the NLDS.

Despite the Padres losing in four games to the eventual World Series champion Brewers, King was certainly one of the factors in San Diego reaching the postseason for a third straight year. He could certainly do great things for the Mets if they landed him this winter.

Where Michael King would fit in the Mets rotation

Entering 2027, the Mets appear to have three spots locked in their rotation, with McLean, Scott, and Thornton expected to fill them. The last couple of spots, however, remain unclear.

If the Mets were to sign King, it would make the most sense to have him sit atop of the rotation, along with McLean.

McLean is coming off a career-high 31 starts in 2026 and looks to have established himself as a No. 1 starter in the MLB. Although Scott and Thornton showed promise last season, Scott is still entering just his third big league season and had his first one cut short after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Thornton also made only 15 starts last year for the Mets and may still need time to develop. Placing both of them at the top of the rotation may be a bit risky.

Placing King as the likely second starter behind McLean would be a more logical move, given his starter-level durability, especially after his great season with the Padres.

What would a Michael King contract look like?

According to Spotrac, King is expected to sign a five-year, nearly $150 million free-agent contract. There's no reason to doubt that the Mets will try to match that offer.

If one area derailed the Mets' season last year, it was their starting pitching, which was once again disappointing. So it goes without saying that you would expect them to gauge the free-agent market for starting-pitching help. Michael King could be a major free-agent acquisition that could improve New York's rotation.

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Logan VanDine
LOGAN VANDINE

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants. He also previously wrote for Athlon Sports, covering the NFL and MLB.

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