Padres Predicted to Bring Back Key Free Agent in Massive 3-Year Deal

Jun 22, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla (left) talks to starting pitcher Michael King (center) and starting pitcher Dylan Cease (right) before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicts the San Diego Padres will re-sign Michael King on a three-year deal during free agency in the offseason.

King has a $15 million mutual option for the 2026 season, however is likely to turn it down in favor of a higher offer given his performance over the past few seasons. He has been electric since coming to San Diego in the trade which sent Juan Soto to New York, posting a 2.86 ERA in his first two full seasons as a starter.

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"King is working on a fourth consecutive season with a sub-3.00 ERA, but he has also been out since mid-May with a thoracic nerve issue," Miller said. "At this point, he needs to come back and prove himself even more than Bieber does, as last year was the only one thus far in which King made more than 10 starts. Of the four pitchers in this tier, he just might have the best stuff, but is least likely to get a $100M deal."

King has been out since the Padres scratched him from his May 24 start against the Atlanta Braves, however is scheduled to make his return against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday. King will become the fifth starter in the Padres rotation after they sent JP Sears to Triple-A, and will be the best pitcher available of the five.

The Padres are an immediate contender in the National League after King's return and their huge haul at the trade deadline, which reinforced every potential hole in their lineup. They have a 4-2 record since July 31, and are just two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

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They trailed the division-leading Dodgers by as many as nine games in July, and have erased the deficit after an unparalleled hot streak to kick off the second half. The teams will play each other in two different series this month, and the Padres will hope to remain hot before the season-deciding clash.

Their first challenge comes in their series opener against the Red Sox on Friday, where they will face off against former Dodger Walker Buehler on the mound. The game will begin at 6:40 p.m. PT.

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