Players around Major League Baseball haven't had the best free agency markets in recent years.
Of course, Major League Baseball has seen some contracts that might never be seen again, but the reality is that many other players have had to take one or two-year deals with opt-outs to prove their value.
According to Bleacher Reports’ Zachary D. Rymer, that could be a potential issue for San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King. King had been out for a few months, made one start, and is back on the IL as of Thursday.
“King, who has a $15 million mutual option for 2026, has posted a 2.81 ERA in 11 starts, but 10 of those came before he missed three months with a thoracic nerve issue. Even if he remains on the mound for the rest of the season, his stock may remain down accordingly,” he wrote.
King's 2.81 ERA would be one of the best in baseball if he had more than 57.2 innings.
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The one promising thing for the right-hander is that he had a 2.95 ERA last season in 31 appearances and a 2.75 ERA for the New York Yankees in 49 appearances in 2023.
What could hurt King, however, is that he was injured for much of the season and worked as a reliever in the earlier stages of his career. If teams are worried that he could be injury-prone as he stretches out his innings, he might have to take a cheaper deal to show he can stay on the mound.