‘We have some unfinished business’ | Michael King excited to re-sign with Padres

SAN DIEGO — Padres starting pitcher Michael King chose to re-sign with the team, and he is excited to stay where he wanted to be.

King spoke Friday afternoon following the news that he re-signed with the Padres for three years, with multiple reports saying the contract is worth $74 million and includes options in 2027 and 2028.

King said the decision to stay was simple. He started his family in San Diego, has roots in the city, and is excited about the direction general manager A.J. Preller is taking the franchise.

“The players he has put together, the staff he has put together, made it very familiar to me and fun to be a part of,” King said at his press conference. “I think we have some unfinished business, and I want to be a part of a championship team. That was the number one pillar of the teams I wanted to go to — it needs to be a team that wants to win throughout the duration of my contract.”

King was highly sought after in free agency, with rumors linking him to several clubs. Ultimately, he felt the Padres were the right choice because of the familiarity. He said that was a plus when he spoke to reporters after the loss to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series last season.

He echoed a similar sentiment Friday.

“I think the unknown of being on those teams is a little different. The willingness to win of those teams is foreign,” King said of other clubs he spoke to. “I had no idea what I was walking into during those meetings. In Zoom calls and in-person meetings, you kind of get a feel for it, but when you sit back and think about a winning team and winning mentality, I know I’ve got one of the best in the business to get us where we want to be. Feeling the playoff atmosphere and pressure in San Diego is something I want to feel for the rest of my career.”

“Rest of my career” are strong words.

King spent the first five seasons of his career with the New York Yankees before becoming a Padre. In 2024, he shined as a starter with San Diego after transitioning from a bullpen role. In 2025, he was expected to be the ace, but injuries derailed his season.

He dealt with a shoulder nerve injury and right knee inflammation that kept him out a significant amount of time. When he did pitch, he wasn’t as sharp as the previous season. As a starter, he logged just 73.1 innings last year.

That fell short of his goals, and King is determined to be a major asset for the Padres this upcoming season.

“They trust me to be the Opening Day starter, and Opening Day starters go 200 innings,” King said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do that, and unfortunately we were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. I think that plays into the competitive nature in me and puts a chip on my shoulder. I want to prove I’m the pitcher A.J. believes in and Ruben (Niebla) believes in, and ultimately go out there and win a lot of playoff games.”

As King rejoins the Padres, it is a big boost to the starting rotation. Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove — who is returning from an injury that kept him out all of last season — were the only consistent certainties. Yu Darvish will not pitch next season due to injury, and Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency.

King gives the Padres another front-end starter they can rely on if he stays healthy.

“We feel we have a really good team, a championship-caliber team, but we also understood that the starting pitching rotation had some holes to fill,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said at the press conference. “Michael was a top priority to bring back all offseason.”