Padres right-hander Michael King declined his $28 million player option for 2027 on Thursday and will test free agency. Instead of the salary, he collects a $5 million buyout, and the three-year, $75 million deal he signed with San Diego ends a season early.

Jon Heyman delivered the news on X, and the reaction was immediate. Heyman’s post cut to the heart of it, and fans read it as the start of a bidding war.

Padres star RHP Michael King declined his player option today and will be a free agent. Will be one of the most coveted players on market.

That line sent fan comment sections into overdrive. One fan wrote Back to Yankees. Another guessed the White Sox would get involved, while someone else shouted that the Cubs had better go after him. Fans also tossed the Dodgers, Braves and Giants into the speculation, showing how wide the field of interested teams already looks in their minds.

What the Padres lose

King’s decision lands on a team that many fans and experts expected to keep him. Things have not turned out that way, and the decision adds more uncertainty to the Padres pitching staff this offseason.

Max Ralph and AJ Cassavell laid out the damage. In their reporting on Thursday, they wrote that King’s potential departure leaves myriad holes in the rotation. The only guarantee to return in 2027 is Randy Vásquez. Nick Pivetta’s contract carries a club option, while Walker Buehler, Robbie Ray and Casey Mize are all free agents.

That is a thin group for a team that just watched one of its starters walk away from a $28 million salary. The pressure now shifts to general manager decisions that will shape the rest of the winter.

More uncertainty in the rotation

The problems do not stop with King. Ralph and Cassavell reported that Lucas Giolito and Griffin Canning are likely to join the free agent pool when the Padres decide on their mutual options next week. Yu Darvish is still mulling retirement, and Joe Musgrove’s future role is uncertain.

Put those names together and San Diego faces a rebuild of its rotation. Keeping King would have simplified the math. Losing him makes every other decision harder.

The deadline clock

The calendar is now a pressure point. The Padres have until Monday at 2 p.m. PT to make those option decisions. The same deadline applies for the team to extend qualifying offers to eligible free agents, which means the front office has a few days to sort out its priorities before the market fully opens.

Once Monday passes, every team can start making calls for any available free agents. That includes the Yankees, who now sit in the middle of a conversation that their own fans have already started.

Why Yankees fans are moving first

New York supporters did not wait for the bidding to begin. Their reaction to King’s decision was loud, fast and emotional, with a fan simply writing Back to Yankees and treating the news like a homecoming that had not happened yet. That kind of enthusiasm reflects how much this fanbase wants aggressive offseason moves.

No team has announced a pursuit, and no deal exists. What the sources confirm is simpler and just as important: King is available, the market will be crowded once the deadline passes, and New York will be one of the teams allowed to make a call. For a fanbase hungry for a major arm, that is enough to ignite the offseason.

What comes next

Watch the Padres first. Their Monday decisions on options and qualifying offers will reveal how much San Diego plans to reshape its staff. Then watch the free agent phone lines open. King’s market should draw strong interest, and the teams that act early will set the tone for everyone else.

For Padres fans, the loss stings. For Yankees fans, the door just cracked open, and they already know exactly what they want to hear.