Front Row Seat: Padres re-sign Michael King & add KBO star
The San Diego Padres have finally entered free agency with two big signings, San Diego FC trades for a young player during MLS SuperDraft, SDSU to be without their QB for the New Mexico Bowl, the best NFL game of the year and more!
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Darren Smith
John Gennaro
San Diego Padres
KBO star Sung-Mun Song agrees to deal with Padres (source) - MLB.com
The 29-year-old was an All-Star third baseman for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes who broke out over the last two seasons. He was posted by the Heroes on Nov. 22, opening a 30-day window to negotiate a contract with MLB teams.
In 2025, Song had a career-high 26 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 144 games, while batting .315 with a .387 on-base percentage, .530 slugging percentage and .917 OPS. He was voted the KBO Player of the Year by his peers in the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association.
After injury-plagued 2025, Michael King to re-sign with Padres on 3-year deal: Sources - The Athletic
The agreement includes a $12 million signing bonus, a $5 million salary for 2026, a $28 million player option for 2027 (or a $5 million buyout) and a $30 million player option for 2028. King, 30, was projected by The Athletic’s Tim Britton to earn a three-year, $75 million contract.
After performing like a frontline starter in 2024, King is coming off an injury-marred season that affected his first foray into the open market. A long thoracic nerve issue weakened his throwing shoulder and wiped out much of his contract year. King then experienced knee inflammation upon his August return. He wound up making only 15 starts before a one-inning relief appearance in the National League Wild Card Series.
Padres sign former Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie to minor league deal - San Diego Union-Tribune
McKenzie was the Guardians’ first-round pick in 2015 and developed into a top-100-class prospect while Niebla worked in Cleveland’s player development and on the big-league staff for a time after McKenzie’s debut in 2020.
The 6-foot-5, 165-pound McKenzie had a 3.68 ERA through his first three seasons in the majors (344⅔ innings). But he missed most of 2023 with shoulder and elbow trouble, made 16 starts in 2024, posting a 5.11 ERA, and spent most of 2025 on the development list after he was designated for assignment in April.
Skubal, Mason Miller, Webb, Bednar join loaded Team USA staff - MLB.com
Skubal, the Tigers' ace southpaw, is the back-to-back reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. Skenes, who was already on the WBC team, just won his first career Cy Young Award in the National League for the Pirates. And Webb may not have a Cy Young on his mantle, but he's come close, finishing in the top six in the NL voting each of the past three years.
Add that to a bullpen now led by Miller, the Padres fireman who's arguably MLB's most overpowering reliever, and Bednar (2.30 ERA, 27 saves for Pirates and Yankees in 2025) and Team USA is putting together a loaded pitching staff as it looks to reclaim the World Baseball Classic championship.
