Michael King Comments on Return to Padres With $75 Million Deal

Sep 16, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Over three weeks after losing star pitcher Dylan Cease in free agency, the San Diego Padres received positive news after signing starting pitcher Michael King to a three-year, $75 million deal.

King spent each of the past two seasons in San Diego, holding an 18-12 record as a starter, and has a career 3.24 ERA. King's return adds depth to a position group that has suffered this offseason with Cease's departure and the news that Yu Darvish would miss the entirety of the 2026 season.

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For King, who was rumored to be headed back to the East Coast, staying in San Diego was a decision made based on the championship pedigree general manager A.J. Preller has built into the roster.

"Feeling the playoff atmosphere and pressure in San Diego is something I want to feel for the rest of my career."

- Michael King on his decision to return to the @Padres on a 3-year deal pic.twitter.com/hEtvt7Sdaa

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 19, 2025

“We have roots here. The foundation that we have, the atmosphere playing here is just second to none. The players that (A.J. Preller) has put together, the staff that he has put together made it so it was very familiar to me and very fun to be a part of," King told Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune. "And I think we have some unfinished business, and I want to be a part of a championship team.”

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King admitted that the comfortability of returning to a team he knows rather than taking a shot on an unknown team played a factor in his decision to return to a Padres team he knows is hungry to make a deep postseason run.

"Ultimately, when you sit back and think about a winning team and a winning mentality, I know I've got one of the best in the business to get us to where we want to be," King said in a press conference after announcing his decision. "And feeling the playoff atmosphere and pressure in San Diego was something that I want to feel for the rest of my career."

For Preller, hearing King's decision hinged on the organization's desire to win was validating for a general manager who has worked to build the Padres into a contender since 2014.

"The cool part as we went through the process also, was hearing Michael obviously grew up on the East Coast and went to school there and that was where his priority was, but when you hear that the one West Coast team he wants to play for is the Padres because of his experience this year with the team, the roster, the city, the ownership group, the whole thing and definitely the fans," Preller said. "That's nice to hear and we hear that a lot from players here recently."

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.