Overview
- Michael King exercised his opt-out clause to end the final two years of his San Diego contract and will enter free agency.
- The opt-out included a $5 million buyout and makes King ineligible for a qualifying offer because he received one last year.
- King’s 2026 season supplied the market case for the move, with a 3.21 ERA, 159 strikeouts in 185 innings and a reported 1.18 WHIP.
- He was outstanding in the postseason, allowing one earned run across 14 innings and recording a six-out save in Game 3 of the NLDS.
- Estimators project King could command a four-to-five year deal around $30 million per year, with the Mets and Padres listed as leading suitors, while reports differ on how much guaranteed money he left on the table (about $53 million versus $58 million), a figure that will shape San Diego’s rotation planning and offseason payroll decisions.