What's next for Padres after bringing back King?

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres made their first big move of the offseason, bringing back Michael King on a three-year deal -- a critical signing for a rotation that needed an arm like King.

The deal has not yet been announced by the club but is expected to be finalized Friday morning.

San Diego’s top priority this winter was always starting pitching -- even more so now that Yu Darvish is set to miss the 2026 season and Dylan Cease has signed with Toronto.

So, now that they have the frontline starter they coveted, what’s next for the Padres? Where else are they looking to add? And will they do via trade or free agency? Let’s break it down:

1. The Padres need more in the rotation

But how much more, exactly?

This rotation looks significantly better on paper than it did 24 hours ago. King, Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove -- who is set to return from Tommy John surgery -- make up a fairly formidable front three. Randy Vásquez probably has a place at the back end. There are options for the No. 5 spot -- JP Sears, Matt Waldron, Triston McKenzie (who signed a Minor League deal with the club on Thursday) to name a few.

But there’s uncertainty around Musgrove in his return from injury. King himself dealt with injury concerns last year. And those No. 5 options all struggled immensely last season. The Padres still need to add to their rotation.

The question is whether they would swing big again or whether they’re content to add on the fringes. In all likelihood, King is the team’s biggest free-agent signing of the offseason. But could general manager A.J. Preller get creative on the trade market to add a big-name starter?

Who are we kidding? That’s always possible with Preller.

Remember when Preller landed Darvish and Blake Snell on the same day in the 2020-21 offseason? In the immediate aftermath, Musgrove -- a San Diego native whose name had been mentioned in rumors that winter -- resigned himself to the fact he probably wasn’t getting dealt to his hometown team. Two weeks later, he was a Padre.

2. Who’s on first?

Offensively, the Padres addressed most of their needs in-season last season. At the Trade Deadline, they added Ramón Laureano and Freddy Fermin -- presumably their starting left fielder and catcher, respectively. They added Gavin Sheets just before the season, and he looks like their DH -- or at least the strong side of a DH platoon.

There are a couple minor question marks on the bench. (Namely, who fills the other half of that platoon?) But in the starting lineup, the only thing missing right now is a first baseman.

Both Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn hit free agency this winter. The King signing presumably makes it less likely that the Padres would spend big on another free-agent. Suddenly, a reunion with either of those two feels like a longshot. But the team will continue to monitor the market for each, nonetheless.

Could the Padres put Sheets at first base, then sign a cheap, bat-only type for a DH/bench role? Possible. Could they look for a first baseman via trade? Again, with Preller that’s always possible.

But, at the very least, the Padres need to find one more bat.

3. The first domino of … how many?

Here’s a totally plausible scenario for the offseason:

The King signing is San Diego’s biggest move of the winter. Preller adds another bat and a back-of-the-rotation arm. Perhaps in a minor trade, perhaps in the shallow end of the free-agent pool. But the roster is mostly already set, and the current group is the group the Padres roll with.

But does that sound like A.J. Preller to you?

Who knows -- maybe that’s precisely how this plays out. It’s still a near certainty that Preller will explore a blockbuster trade or two. Because Preller is always exploring a blockbuster trade or two.

If he were to make a move, it stands to reason that he would deal from his team’s biggest strength -- its bullpen depth. But there are also impact players that Preller might look to move in order to free up salary so he can add elsewhere. (Pivetta? Jake Cronenworth?) That would leave the Padres with holes elsewhere on their roster. But surely Preller would then have other moves up his sleeve to fill those holes.

Should be an interesting offseason in San Diego. Isn’t it always?