Padres Insider Reveals Unfortunate Michael King, Dylan Cease Free Agency Update

The San Diego Padres are set to have both of their star pitchers, Dylan Cease and Michael King, hit free agency this offseason, which has long been predicted to result in the team keeping at most only one of them due to payroll concerns.

Both pitchers have performed well at the start of the season; however, King has had a more impressive beginning, being more effective and successful, although he lacks the flashy stuff that Cease has always had.

Dylan Cease and Michael King play charades. pic.twitter.com/CqJbuMn5Jy
— Michael Shin (@MichaelUCSD) May 18, 2025

Cease was always going to earn a pretty penny due to his fastball-slider combination that makes hitters miss and having an ace-level track record, but now King is positioning himself to earn front-of-the-rotation money as well.

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Dennis Lin of The Athletic believes that if King continues to perform as he has, then the Padres might be forced to replace both of their key rotation pieces.

"I think the Padres will make an effort to keep King, but with another season of front-line production, there’s a good chance the team will have to replace both of its best starters," Lin wrote in a mailbag article for The Athletic.

A nine-figure, multi-year deal was always likely headed towards Cease; however, now that he has struggled with control issues and walks recently, he may end up getting a $100 million deal rather than $200 million.

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King has made a significant leap a quarter into the season, generating 1.3 WAR, a 2.32 ERA, and showcasing an impressive 27.9% strikeout ratio as well.

His fastball consistently sits at just under 94 mph, and his expected ERA remains impressive at 3.11, indicating that his performance has not relied significantly on external variables; rather, he is simply pitching at a high level.

Michael King, Wicked 88mph Changeup. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/mSv5DTvvg6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 13, 2025

His starts all tend to last five innings, and he rarely has to be relieved early in a game. Instead, he goes deep and helps the bullpen get some rest.

If he keeps performing at this level, the Padres will need to replace both of their key starters, which will be a difficult task for A.J. Preller and Co.

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