Good Morning San Diego: Michael King says he returned to Padres because he has unfinished business

When Michael King agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres, he also brought back the belief that the Padres could make a return to the postseason in 2026. King met the media and stated there is unfinished business in San Diego and he is excited about returning to the Padres organization. There is still work to done to complete the San Diego rotation, but with King, Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove leading the group, the Friar Faithful can have confidence that their team will be a contending team in the National League.

Padres News:

• According to reports, the Padres and the Mets have been engaged in trade talks over the past couple weeks, but they have yet to make a deal. Both teams have since started addressing their roster needs, which seems to mean they have reached an impasse. That does not mean they could not come to an agreement at some point this offseason, but when that might be is unknown.
• San Diego followed the Michael King signing with an announcement the following morning that the Padres have agreed to a deal with free agent infielder Sung-Mun Song from the Korean Baseball Organization.
• The Padres were one of nine teams to exceed the $241 million luxury tax threshold in 2025. San Diego was $7 million over, making the Padres the sixth highest in the group.
• San Diego added another player on a minor league contract, agreeing to terms with Jose Miranda with an invitation to Spring Training.
• Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported the Padres had interest in signing free agent pitcher Merrill Kelly before he agreed to a two-year, $40 million deal to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
• Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribunefocused on Miguel Mendez in his latest look at the Padres roster review.
• The Seidler family suffered another loss with the passing of Terry Seidler, the mother of Peter and John, at the age of 92.

Baseball News:

• The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Brandon Lowe in a three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Houston Astros. The Rays also lined up with the Baltimore Orioles on another trade, sending Shane Baz to the Orioles.
• After trading Lowe, the Rays are potentially the front runners to trade for Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.
• With Dylan Cease and Michael King agreeing to contracts with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Padres respectively, three big-name free agent arms remain. The trade market is also a place where teams are exploring options to address their needs.