The Padres have officially lost Dylan Cease in free agency to the Toronto Blue Jays, as the 29-year-old signed a seven-year deal worth $210 million. However, this was widely expected, as he priced himself out of San Diego.

Losing Cease hurts, but the team needs to prioritise bringing back Michael King, who declined his mutual option in search of a long-term contract. The Padres definitely have a shot of bringing King back, as president of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, even said publicly that starting pitching is the most important need of the offseason.

Padres’ Michael King draws interest from New York Mets in latest offseason rumor

The Padres acquired King in 2023 as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees along with Trent Grisham, a move that proved to improve their minor league system. In his time with San Diego, he posted a 2.99 ERA over the course of 54 starts.

King has a wide range of suitors this offseason, some of whom may even offer more money than the Padres. One team in particular is expected to be all-in on King, and it would bring him back to the city where his career started.

No…not the Yankees, it is the New York Mets that have been heavily pursuing the right-hander. We all know that Steve Cohen loves to spend money in free agency; after all, he brought in Juan Soto on the most lucrative deal in the history of the game.

If New York were to connect on King, he would join a rotation that already consists of a plethora of young talent. Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong all made their MLB debuts in 2025, and all look to build off of solid second halves.

If this turns out to be the case, A.J. Preller will need to evaluate every aspect of the market to replace Cease, King, and Yu Darvish, who underwent Tommy John Surgery.

It will be interesting to see how Preller addresses King this offseason, as he also has to negotiate with Luis Arráez, who Padres fans hope to keep around as well.