The San Diego Padres came into the offseason knowing they’d have tough decisions to make on the pitching side, but Michael King taking those decisions out of their hands might be the most unexpected gift of all.
King declining San Diego’s $22.025 million qualifying offer doesn’t register as a win at first glance. But with the organization juggling a tight payroll, a bruised rotation, and a far deeper injury history than King’s reputation suggests, his departure could actually make things easier rather than harder.