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MLB
Michael King
Michael King
San Diego Padres, Starting Pitcher
Age: 30y-9m-17d (May 25, 1995)
Exp: 6.004 Years
Country: US
College: Boston College (MA)
Drafted: Round 12 (#353 overall), 2016
Agent(s): Excel Sports Management
2026 Payroll Salary
$9,000,000
2026 Cash
$17,000,000
Career Earnings
$24,724,341
2026-2028 Free Agent (CURRENT)
Michael King signed a 3 year, $75,000,000 contract with the San Diego Padres, including $12,000,000 signing bonus, $75,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $25,000,000. In 2026, King will earn a base salary of $5,000,000 and a signing bonus of $12,000,000, while carrying a total salary of $9,000,000.
Contract Terms:
3 yr(s) / $75,000,000
Average Salary:
$25,000,000
Signing Bonus:
$12,000,000
Free Agent:
2029 / UFA
YOS @ Signing:
6.004
| Year | Age | YOS | Status | PayrollAnnual | Luxury Tax | Tax % League Tax | Cash Annual | Cash Cumulative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
|
31 | 6.004 | $9,000,000 | $25,000,000 | 10.25% | $17,000,000 | $17,000,000 | |
| PLAYER OPT-OUT: AVAILABLE 2027, 2 YR, $58,000,000 REMAINING | |||||||||
| 2027 |
|
32 | 6.004 |
Opt-Out
|
$32,000,000 | $25,000,000 | 10.12% | $28,000,000 | $45,000,000 |
| 2028 |
|
33 | 6.004 |
Player
|
$34,000,000 | $25,000,000 | 10.00% | $30,000,000 | $75,000,000 |
| 2029 |
|
34 | - |
UFA |
|||||
| Year | Age | Service | Status | Base Salary | Signing Proration | Incentives Likely | Incentives Unlikely | Payroll Salary | Luxury Tax | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
|
31 | 6.004 | $5,000,000 | $4,000,000 | - | - | $9,000,000 | $25,000,000 | ||
| PLAYER OPT-OUT: AVAILABLE 2027, 2 YR, $58,000,000 REMAINING | |||||||||||
| 2027 |
|
32 | - |
Opt-Out
|
$28,000,000 | $4,000,000 | - | - | $32,000,000 | $25,000,000 | |
| 2028 |
|
33 | - |
Player
|
$30,000,000 | $4,000,000 | - | - | $34,000,000 | $25,000,000 | |
| 2029 |
|
34 | -- |
UFA |
|||||||
| Year | Age | Status | Base Salary | Signing Bonus | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Cash Remaining | AYC Cumulative | AYC Remaining | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
|
31 | $5,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $17,000,000 | $17,000,000 | $75,000,000 | $17,000,000 | $25,000,000 | |
| PLAYER OPT-OUT: AVAILABLE 2027, 2 YR, $58,000,000 REMAINING | ||||||||||
| 2027 |
|
32 |
Opt-Out |
$28,000,000 | - | $28,000,000 | $45,000,000 | $58,000,000 | $22,500,000 | $29,000,000 |
| 2028 |
|
33 |
Player |
$30,000,000 | - | $30,000,000 | $75,000,000 | $30,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $30,000,000 |
Contract Notes
- 2027 player opt-out includes $5M buyout
- 2028 player option (no buyout)
Source:
MLB contract specifics generally collected from verified reports.
2025-2026 Arbitration
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $7,750,000
Average Salary:
$7,750,000
Signing Bonus:
$3,000,000
Free Agent:
2027 / UFA
YOS @ Signing:
5.004
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2024-2024 Arbitration
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $3,150,000
Average Salary:
$3,150,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
YOS @ Signing:
4.004
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2023-2023 Arbitration
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $1,300,000
Average Salary:
$1,300,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
YOS @ Signing:
3.004
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2022-2022 Pre-Arbitration
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $722,500
Average Salary:
$722,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
YOS @ Signing:
2.004
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2021-2021 Pre-Arbitration
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $586,500
Average Salary:
$586,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
YOS @ Signing:
1.008
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2020-2020 Pre-Arbitration
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $563,500
Average Salary:
$563,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
YOS @ Signing:
0.011
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2019-2019 Pre-Arbitration
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $555,000
Average Salary:
$555,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
YOS @ Signing:
0
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2016-2016 Signing Bonus
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $100,000
Average Salary:
$100,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
YOS @ Signing:
0
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Seasons
6.004 Years
Career Earnings thru 2026
$14,157,165
Earnings w/ Different Teams
3 teams
Earnings Per Year
| Year | Age | Team(s) | Service | Status | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 21 |
 |
- |
Signing Bonus
Signing Bonus
|
$100,000 $100,000 |
$100,000 $200,000 |
|
| 2019 | 24 |
 |
0 |
Active
Active
|
$32,824 $32,824 |
$232,824 $265,648 |
|
| 2020 | 25 |
|
0.011 |
Reserve / minor-buried
|
$190,015 |
$455,663 |
|
| 2021 | 26 |
|
1.008 |
Active
|
$517,092 |
$972,755 |
|
| 2022 | 27 |
|
2.004 |
Injured
Pre-Arb Bonus Pool
|
$722,500 $261,910 |
$1,695,255 $1,957,165 |
|
| 2023 | 28 |
|
3.004 |
Active / Arb Avoided
|
$1,300,000 |
$3,257,165 |
|
| 2024 | 29 |
|
4.004 |
Active / Arb Avoided
|
$3,150,000 |
$6,407,165 |
All MLB (2nd) |
| 2025 | 30 |
|
5.004 |
Active / arbitration-avoided-option-numbers-exchanged
Buyout
|
$4,000,000 $3,750,000 |
$10,407,165 $14,157,165 |
|
| Total |
$14,157,165 |
$10,407,165 $14,157,165 |
|||||
| 2026 | 31 |
|
6.004 |
Active
|
$17,000,000 |
||
| 2027 | 32 |
|
6.004 |
Active / early-termination
|
$28,000,000 |
||
| 2028 | 33 |
|
6.004 |
Active / Player
|
$30,000,000 |
||
| Total |
$89,157,165 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
- | $200,000 | - | $200,000 |
| 5 |
|
$3,057,165 | - | - | $3,057,165 |
| 2 |
|
$7,900,000 | $3,000,000 | - | $10,900,000 |
| Year | Team(s) | Age | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
|
21 |
$100,000 $100,000 |
$100,000 $100,000 |
$100,000 $200,000 |
||
| 2019 |
|
24 |
$32,824 $32,824
|
$32,824 $32,824 |
$232,824 $265,648 |
||
| 2020 |
|
25 |
$190,015
|
$190,015 |
$455,663 |
||
| 2021 |
|
26 |
$517,092
|
$517,092 |
$972,755 |
||
| 2022 |
|
27 |
$722,500 $261,910
|
$722,500 $261,910 |
$1,695,255 $1,957,165 |
||
| 2023 |
|
28 |
$1,300,000
|
$1,300,000 |
$3,257,165 |
||
| 2024 |
|
29 |
$3,150,000
|
$3,150,000 |
$6,407,165 |
||
| 2025 |
|
30 |
$1,000,000 $3,750,000
|
$3,000,000 |
$4,000,000 $3,750,000 |
$10,407,165 $14,157,165 |
|
| Total |
$10,957,165 |
$3,200,000 |
$14,157,165 |
$10,407,165 $14,157,165 |
|||
| 2026 |
|
31 |
$5,000,000
|
$12,000,000 |
$17,000,000 |
||
| 2027 |
|
32 |
$28,000,000
|
$28,000,000 |
|||
| 2028 |
|
33 |
$30,000,000
|
$30,000,000 |
|||
| Total |
$73,957,165 |
$15,200,000 |
$89,157,165 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
- | $200,000 | - | $200,000 |
| 5 |
|
$3,057,165 | - | - | $3,057,165 |
| 2 |
|
$7,900,000 | $3,000,000 | - | $10,900,000 |
Injuries
| Year | Dates | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
SD |
Aug 11, 2025 - Sep 09, 2025 | Knee |
| 2025 |
SD |
May 22, 2025 - Aug 09, 2025 | Shoulder |
| 2022 |
NYY |
Jul 23, 2022 - Oct 05, 2022 | Elbow |
| 2021 |
NYY |
Jul 05, 2021 - Sep 10, 2021 | Finger |
-
Dec 18, 2025
Signed a 3 year $75 million contract with San Diego (SD), including player options in 2027 and 2028
-
Nov 18, 2025
Declined a qualifying offer with San Diego (SD)
-
Nov 06, 2025
San Diego (SD) extended a $22.05 million Qualifying Offer
-
Nov 03, 2025
Declined a $15M mutual option for 2026 with San Diego (SD)
-
Jan 31, 2025
Signed a 1 year $7.75 million contract with San Diego (SD), avoiding arbitration
-
Jan 09, 2025
Player: $8.8M; Team (SD): $7.325M
-
Dec 07, 2023
Traded to San Diego (SD) from New York (NYY) with Drew Thorpe , Jhony Brito , Randy Vasquez and Kyle Higashioka for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham
-
Jan 13, 2023
Signed a 1 year $1.3 million contract with New York (NYY), avoiding arbitration
-
Mar 01, 2022
Signed a 1 year $722,500 contract with New York (NYY)
-
Nov 20, 2017
Traded to New York (NYY) from Miami (MIA) with International Bonus Pool Cap Space ($250,000) for Garrett Cooper and Caleb Smith
-
Jun 21, 2016
Signed a contract with Miami (MIA)
-
Jun 11, 2016
Drafted by Miami (MIA): Round 12 (#353 overall)
-
Jun 11, 2016
Drafted by Miami (MIA): Round 12 (#353 overall)
| Year | Team | GP | GS | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | W | L | SV | IP | ERA | WHIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | SD | 15 | 15 | 62 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 76 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 73.3 | 3.44 | 1.20 | 1.17 |
| 2024 | SD | 31 | 30 | 144 | 71 | 57 | 63 | 201 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 173.7 | 2.95 | 1.19 | 4.10 |
| 2023 | NYY | 49 | 9 | 88 | 35 | 32 | 32 | 127 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 104.7 | 2.75 | 1.15 | 3.27 |
| 2022 | NYY | 34 | 0 | 35 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 66 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 51.0 | 2.29 | 1.00 | 1.92 |
| 2021 | NYY | 22 | 6 | 57 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 62 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 63.3 | 3.55 | 1.28 | 0.96 |
| 2020 | NYY | 9 | 4 | 30 | 23 | 23 | 11 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 26.7 | 7.76 | 1.54 | -0.59 |
| 2019 | NYY | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.03 |
Calculated Market Value
Market Value
- 4 years, $91,906,272
- Avg. Salary: $22,976,568
- MLB Rank: 59
- SP Rank: 22
Current Contract
- Free Agent: 2029
- Avg. Salary: $25,000,000
- MLB Rank: 44
- SP Rank: 16
Comparable Players
We've selected the following players based on their age, contract status, and statistical production to compare Michael King to.
| Player | Length | Value | Avg. Salary | Age When Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Manaea | 3 | $75,000,000 | $25,000,000 | 32 |
| Max Fried | 8 | $218,000,000 | $27,250,000 | 30 |
| Nick Pivetta | 4 | $55,000,000 | $13,750,000 | 31 |
| Kevin Gausman | 5 | $110,000,000 | $22,000,000 | 30 |
| Averages | 5 | $114,500,000 | $22,000,000 | 30.8 |
Base Calculated Value
After adjusting the above contracts as if signed at King's current age (30), a linear regression is performed, providing us with the following initial value.
| Length | Value | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | $140,838,132 | $23,473,022 |
Statistical Comparisons
Now we'll compare our variables and King statistically over the two seasons prior to their signing. In this case we're analyzing: GS/Yr, IP, K/9, BB/9, ERA, WHIP, FIP, WAR
| Player | GS/Yr | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | ERA | WHIP | FIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sean Manaea
2023-2024
|
21.00 | 4.34 | 9.45 | 3.16 | 3.96 | 1.16 | 3.86 | 2.66 |
|
Max Fried
2023-2024
|
21.50 | 5.86 | 8.92 | 2.51 | 2.90 | 1.15 | 3.24 | 4.77 |
|
Nick Pivetta
2023-2024
|
21.00 | 4.44 | 11.08 | 2.68 | 4.09 | 1.12 | 4.02 | 3.33 |
|
Kevin Gausman
2020-2021
|
21.50 | 5.47 | 11.28 | 2.38 | 3.22 | 1.07 | 3.04 | 5.19 |
| Average | 21.25 | 5.03 | 10.18 | 2.68 | 3.54 | 1.13 | 3.54 | 3.99 |
|
Michael King
2024-2025
|
22.00 | 5.43 | 9.86 | 3.16 | 3.26 | 1.20 | 3.88 | 3.96 |
| Pct Change | 3.53 | 7.95 | -3.14 | -17.91 | 7.91 | -6.19 | -9.60 | -0.75 |
| Median Prime % Change | -1.95% | |||||||
| Average Prime % Change | -2.28% | |||||||
Calculated Market Value: Michael King
After applying our Prime % figures into our base calculated value, we're given two values. The average of these values becomes our current calculated market value.
| Terms | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| 4 years, $91,906,272 | $22,976,568 |
