The Padres made their first real splash in free agency by bringing back right-hander Michael King on a three-year, $75 million deal last Thursday, addressing what was by far the team’s most important need ahead of 2026.
Ahead of King’s return, the Padres only had Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove headlining the rotation. Now that the team has officially brought back King, the starting pitching unit now has much more stability than it first looked like heading into free agency.
Since we are now starting to get a first glance of what the rotation may look like come opening day, here is our way-too-early starting rotation prediction.