The Padres are losing two of the most sought-after starting pitchers in this year’s free agent class.

The team’s return will come in July when they exercise two additional picks immediately between the fourth and fifth round of the amateur draft.

As expected, Dylan Cease and Michal King both rejected the qualifying off the Padres made to them on Nov. 6.

Accepting the offer would have guaranteed them $22.025 million in 2026.

Instead, they will seek multi-year contracts.

Cease is expected to command between $25 million to $30 million a year. Industry estimates estimate the average salary for King between $20 million and $23 million.

The 29-year-old Cease is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career in 2025, posting a 4.55 ERA over 165 innings. But his 162 starts are most in the

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