Atlanta Braves trade target and San Diego starting pitcher Michael King has avoided arbitration with a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2026.
The Padres announced the deal on X (formerly Twitter).
We have reached an agreement with RHP Michael King on a one-year contract for the 2025 season with a mutual option for 2026.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) January 31, 2025
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, King will receive a $3 million bonus and a $1 million salary for 2025. The mutual option is worth $15 million and the buyout is worth $3.75 million. This can become a $4 million buyout based on games started. In total, he is guaranteed $7.75 million.
However, this does not mean that the Braves’ hopes of acquiring a starting pitcher are diminished. No report has said he is staying put.
To think of it one way, there is now certainty in how much King will make. That can aid negotiations.
King became a full-time starter in San Diego last season and established himself as a clutch member of the rotation. King made 31 appearances, 30 starts, in 2024 and finished with a 2.95 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, a 139 ERA+ and 201 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings.
He struggled in April as he found his footing in the rotation. From May 4 onward, he had a 2.42 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and 161 strikeouts in 137 2/3 innings.
This effort earned King a seventh-place finish in the National League Cy Young voting.
From the Braves’ perspective, this structure is a best-case scenario. Should they acquire King, which comes during a luxury-tax crunch, they would only owe $4 million and then $15 million once the tax potentially resets for 2026.
This deal might incentivize them to make the move from King instead of Georgia native Dylan Cease.
However, it is possible that contract turns out to mean he’s sticking around in San Diego for at least one more year. In that case, the Braves would need to beat out the Mets, among other clubs, to acquire Cease.
The Braves were first reported to be interested in the Padres starters on Wedneday.
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