Padres and Michael King Agree on $7.75 Million Contract, Avoid Arbitration
The San Diego Padres and pitching star Michael King have agreed on King’s salary. The announcement came on Friday, Jan. 31, ending speculation that the Padres would have to go to an arbitration hearing with King.
King’s contract with the Padres guarantees him $7.75 million, sources told MLB.com, but the deal was structured strategically to benefit both sides of the bargaining table.
According to these sources, King will receive a $1 million salary with a $3 million signing bonus. A mutual option for 2026 is worth $15 million and includes a $3.75 million buyout, which could become $4 million if King meets specific incentives based on the number of games he starts.
King’s name had emerged in several trade rumors, including with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are making strategic decisions about their roster to capitalize on their 2024 playoff run to make it to the World Series in 2025. Adding King to their roster would have given the Tigers a substantial boost to their pitching rotation.
Sources told MLB.com that the Padres had submitted a proposal for a $7.325 million salary for King in 2025, but King countered the offer with $8.8 million. If the Padres and King had not reached an agreement, one of these figures would have been selected through arbitration.
With Friday’s agreement with King, Padres general manager A.J. Preller maintains his decade-long streak of avoiding arbitration with any of the Padres players.