Outside of Framber Valdez, right-hander Michael King might be the best starter available on the free agency market this winter.
Following some of Valdez's recent outings, there's also an argument to be made that if King returns healthy, he could be the best.
Unfortunately, however, King's injuries could have an impact on what happens in free agency. He's only thrown in 57.2 innings, and despite his 2.81 ERA and 65 strikeouts, throwing in less than 60.0 innings a year before free agency typically doesn't end well for players.
Will Padres' Michael King get major contract?
Despite that reality, Jeff Passan of ESPN believes that if King can return in September and has impressive outings during the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, he should be in a position to get paid well.
“Michael King, Padres, right-hander: After an injury-riddled season, all it would take is a handful of good starts in September for King to remind teams he was the best-performing pitcher of the bunch over the past two years when he was healthy,” he wrote.
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It wouldn't be unreasonable to see a team offer King $150 million or more, especially if they believe he's healthy.
Health will be the most significant thing in this situation, so it's something the 30-year-old will have to get under control heading into free agency.
If he doesn't feel great on the mound for the Padres this fall, there's really no reason to risk it.
Fortunately for King, the Padres should be in a good position to make a nice little run in October. If that happens and he's a big help to it, his price will only go up.