"At the outset of the offseason, the right-hander initially preferred a return to the east coast, where he pitched for years with the Yankees after growing up in Rhode Island and going to college in Boston. King indicated to reporters (including Sanders) that while some teams had "blown [him] away" with strong offers, he didn't believe those teams had the roster and commitment to winning necessary to field a World Series contender in 2026."
"It seems that ended up being what he did with San Diego, which Sanders adds was the only west coast team King had interest in playing for. While King's $75MM guarantee came in just shy of the $80MM guarantee MLBTR predicted for the right-hander at the outset of the offseason, it's nonetheless a strong deal given the higher average annual value and opt-out opportunities after each season."
Michael King agreed to a three-year contract with the San Diego Padres that includes opt-out opportunities after each of the next two offseasons. A.J. Preller instructed manager Craig Stammen and pitching coach Ruben Niebla to message King less than two weeks prior to gauge his interest in returning to San Diego. King initially preferred an East Coast return after years with the Yankees and prioritized joining a roster committed to winning, expressing willingness to accept less for that goal. San Diego was the only West Coast club King wanted, and multiple teams showed interest this winter.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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