Michael King's decision to opt out of the remaining two years left on his contract with the San Diego Padres was expected, but that doesn't make the decision any less painful for the Friar Faithful. King, acquired in the deal that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees ahead of the 2024 season, converted from reliever to full-time starter with the Padres and has done nothing but excel since that switch, ranking 10th in the majors in ERA (3.15) among qualified starters.

In a Padres' rotation that was ravaged by injuries and inconsistency, King was the one reliable presence Craig Stammen could turn to every fifth day, as evidenced by his 3.21 ERA in 32 starts and 185 innings of work. He was even better in his three postseason appearances, notably recording a save in Game 3 of the NLDS to keep the Padres' season alive.

Given how solid his track record is and how well he pitched this past season, King is sure to earn as much money in free agency as any starter not named Tarik Skubal. Which team will be fortunate enough to sign him, though? Let's dive in.

8. San Francisco Giants

Should the San Francisco Giants sign King? I'd say no. They went 65-97 this past season and should be trying to rebuild more than trying to add a 31-year-old starter on a large contract. With that being said, Buster Posey has shown no desire to rebuild, the Giants have a clear need in their rotation, and they should have money to spend.

With that in mind, they make sense as a dark horse for King, especially if King wants to remain on the West Coast. The Giants might not be built to compete, but they could be desperate enough to offer King a ton of money. That matters, at the end of the day.

7. St. Louis Cardinals

The only player on the St. Louis Cardinals' roster with a guaranteed contract right now is J.J. Wetherholt. Yes, they're eating some money on the Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras deals, and they have several arbitration-eligible players, but the point is, the Cardinals should have an enormous amount of money to spend. They likely won't entertain entering the Skubal sweepstakes, but what about King?

The Cardinals just won 77 games despite having a rotation led by mid-rotation arms at best, like Kyle Leahy and Michael McGreevy, and despite not making a real effort to win now. If they're able to sign King, adding him to a strong position player core, why can't they make the jump to postseason contention? They can more than afford it. Would they actually spend what it'd take, though?

6. Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles traded for Corbin Burnes ahead of the 2024 season, watched him shove, and then allowed him to leave in free agency. Since Burnes' departure, the Orioles' best and most consistent pitcher, when healthy, has been Trevor Rogers, who, of course, is headed to free agency this offseason. That leaves the Orioles with a rotation headlined by Kyle Bradish and Shane Baz ahead of the 2027 season. Is that really good enough for a team that says it wants to compete?

I'd say no. The Orioles have a strong position player core led by Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson, and their bullpen has some upside with Felix Bautista and Ryan Helsley back healthy, but this rotation is an issue. Signing King, a pitcher who has proven he can pitch in the AL East, would help a lot. Do the Orioles have another big contract in them after splurging on Alonso last winter, though?

5. Chicago White Sox

If we're talking about ideal landing spots for King, does one make more sense than the Chicago White Sox? The White Sox will almost certainly be priced out of any Skubal chatter, but King will make significantly less than Skubal and add the kind of frontline starter impact the White Sox desperately need.

The White Sox broke out this past season, making it to Game 5 of the ALDS. They have an emerging position player core and a deep bullpen, but their best starter is Sean Burke. Starting pitching held them back in October. Adding a pitcher like King would likely make Chicago the team to beat in the AL Central. Without long-term money tied to anyone, the White Sox should be willing to splurge here. Would they, though?

4. Toronto Blue Jays

When it comes to willing spenders, the Toronto Blue Jays are at or near the top of the list, and with several contracts coming off their books, the Blue Jays should have a lot of money to spend. They should be eager to spend it too, given the lost season they're coming off of. Adding King to a rotation that already includes Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and Jose Soriano would make the Blue Jays incredibly tough to score against.

This is a great fit on paper, but the reason why I have them at No. 4 on the list comes down to questioning whether King would be a top target of theirs. Sure, any team could use more pitching, but the Jays finished dead last in the majors in runs scored and home runs in 2026, which is why they missed the playoffs. Even assuming Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bounces back, the Jays ought to prioritize bolstering their lineup. That could mean putting something like starting pitching on the backburner, especially when Toronto's rotation is pretty good as constructed.

3. Chicago Cubs

Much like the crosstown rival White Sox, it's hard to envision much of a better fit for King than the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs' rotation was already a weakness this past season, and they now have Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and David Peterson headed to free agency. Justin Steele is healthy, and it's fair to bet on healthier years out of guys like Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown, but in what world is the rotation as constructed good enough?

The Cubs really should be in on Skubal, but given their history, I have my doubts there. King isn't Skubal, but he's quite good, as the Cubs saw in the playoffs when the right-hander threw seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit against a Chicago lineup that led the majors in regular-season runs in the Wild Card Series. That's the kind of reliable starter the Cubs could really use.

2. San Diego Padres

I know that he just opted out of his deal with the Padres, but San Diego really shouldn't be counted out here. After all, King chose to re-sign with San Diego last offseason on a three-year deal that felt like a below-market commitment, rather than sign elsewhere, citing his love for the organization and desire to win. Why can't that happen again?

It'd almost certainly take more money and years to get King to sign the dotted line this time, but the Padres do have a new ownership group in place that should be eager to prove that they're serious about winning. Nothing would show that they're serious more than re-signing King, especially when their rotation is in as bad a shape as theirs is. If the Padres want to seriously compete in 2027, they'll need King (or someone similar) atop their rotation.

1. New York Mets

Need for a frontline starter? Check. Desperation after another lost season? Check. Money to spend? Check. Is there a box the New York Mets don't check here? They missed the playoffs for a second straight year and have the richest owner in the sport, so why shouldn't they be eager to spend a ton of money to address one of the biggest holes in their roster: the front of the rotation?

Tarik Skubal is the dream pickup, but are we sure that David Stearns, an executive who has shown great restraint when discussing frontline starters in past years, will do what it takes to lure him to Queens? King makes a lot of sense as an alternative option. He's very good, cannot receive a qualifying offer, and has proven he can pitch in New York, which Stearns said is something he'll take into consideration this winter. The Mets would still need to add another starter, but you can do worse than fielding a rotation consisting of King, Nolan McLean and Christian Scott.