Among the San Diego Padres' laundry list of notable free agents, Michael King stands out as perhaps the most important one.
Though injuries diminished his effectiveness in 2025, the 30-year-old successfully completed his transition from the bullpen to the rotation last year, pitching to a 2.95 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 173 2/3 innings while accruing 3.9 fWAR.
He's likely to sign a lucrative contract in free agency — perhaps before the end of the Winter Meetings. That has the pitching-needy Padres on the clock, though the most recent update on King may portend some positive news for the Friars.