Michael King signing with the Padres makes potential NY Mets trade more unclear

Michael King will suit up for the San Diego Padres again next year, earning $25 million from a team that wants to reduce payroll. His contract allows him to opt out next offseason or stick around and make the same sum in each of the next two years. With this in mind, he was never going to come to the New York Mets on a similar deal. They weren’t about to pay a starting pitcher that much money, lose draft picks, and see him dash after one season in Flushing.

The return of the King to Southern California makes the potential Mets-Padres trade ideas from a week ago a little more unclear. While many of the same players could be perceived as available, the complete opposite arguments could be made for each.

Where the Mets-Padres trade possibilities gets more complicated

Do they need to trade Nick Pivetta? If you’re paying King, why not keep Pivetta? He’s getting just under $20 million and has an even lower hit against the luxury tax. Bound to opt out after this season if he’s even just an average version of himself, the Padres are complicating things by trading him somewhere with the purpose of adding two starting pitcher options. For instance, a Mets-Padres trade that sends Pivetta to New York and has David Peterson and Brandon Sproat going to San Diego doesn’t do a whole lot to guarantee they’ve gotten better. The only real win is having a young, controllable player.

San Diego has room for a trade, but it’s beginning to look more like it could end up being a reliever or two to the Mets for a starter or two. Maybe the most fascinating trade candidate the Mets have, Kodai Senga, is either of extreme interest to the Padres or someone they’d rather not gamble on at all. Hit by injuries to their starting staff, acquiring Senga would give the Padres rotation yet another guy they’ve have to cross their fingers with. Furthermore, it does little to shed salary short of the Mets taking on some higher contracts. There really isn’t anyone other than Fernando Tatis Jr. they should be willing to pay in perpetuity.

Where Senga still fits the Padres is from a financial perspective. At $15 million in each of the next two seasons, he’s far more affordable than many they could sign in free agency. His upside is undeniable. They have the kinds of relievers the Mets would probably trade for. Something as simple as Adrian Morejon for Senga helps out both ball clubs. It gives the Mets the rotation space to possibly sign a free agent and gives them a top reliever to stick in the bullpen.

King seemed destined to leave the Padres, but this wrinkle now has to have the teams rethinking some of their previous trade plans. The heavyweight possibilities are washing away. San Diego has one less rotation spot they need to fill and maybe less interest in trading away Pivetta. The Mets, with the Luke Weaver signing, may have realized the cost of Mason Miller was too ridiculous.

It would be a shame if no trade ever does happen because of how well they lined up. Blame it on the fact that both teams could very likely meet in the playoffs. Any trade is the kind that could directly end your season.