The San Diego Padres made it to the playoffs for the third straight season this year, losing out to the eventual World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. However, making it back to the postseason for a fourth straight year could be difficult if they end up losing starter Michael King.

Per MLB insider Jon Heyman, King has declined his player option with the Padres and will become a free agent.

King, who was also a free agent last year, re-signed with the Padres last year on a three-year, $75 million contract, but the deal included two player options in 2027 and 2028. King opted to exercise his early termination option this offseason and go back onto the open market with the hope of landing a bigger deal.

King is coming off his third season with the Padres. With Dylan Cease moving to Toronto and Nick Pivetta missing a good chunk of the season due to injury, King wound up being the Padres' top starter. He went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 32 starts during the regular season.

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But he took his performance to another level in the playoffs, recording a miniscule 0.64 ERA in 14.0 innings over three appearances. That includes a two-inning save in the Padres' lone win against the Brewers in the NLDS.

The Padres already had several starters in Walker Buehler, Robbie Ray, and Casey Mize, hitting free agency. And with King opting out, the Padres' current rotation is looking thin, with Joe Musgrove, Randy Vasquez, JP Sears, and Jhony Brito. Whatever happens with King's future with the team, they will still need to sign up a few more arms this offseason.