King rejected the Padres' $22.025 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
King was limited to 15 regular-season starts in 2025 due to shoulder and knee issues, but it's still not a surprise he elected to turn down the qualifying offer. King posted a 3.44 ERA over 73.1 innings last year and had a 2.95 ERA during his first season as a full-time starter in 2024. Extending the qualifying offer will net the Padres a compensatory draft pick, assuming he doesn't re-sign with the team.