Wednesday, July 02

DETROIT -- When Michael King struck out 11 Guardians over five scoreless innings earlier this season, he received a signed picture from one of his biggest fans. King hung it above his locker.

It reads: “To Mike -- Great game! 11 Ks!!! Wow! Keep up the good work.”

Then, it was signed:

-- Dylan Cease (1 no-hitter)

Coincidentally (or not coincidentally at all), the note was written over the top of a picture of Cease pitching at Nationals Park last July as he authored the franchise’s second no-hitter. Just in case you needed any further indication of the playful relationship between Cease and King.

“He’s such an elite pitcher,” King said of his rotation mate. “There are so many things game-to-game that he did way better than me -- or that I did better than him. We always try to make sure the other person knows. ... It's stupid stuff like that. But the thing is it's such a healthy relationship, because I know that he's fighting for me. If I go seven shutout [innings], I know he's trying to go eight shutout.

“It's very healthy. Competition almost sounds like it's a negative thing. But it's such a positive in our relationship.”

King and Cease -- who are slated to start Games 1 and 2 of the Padres’ series against the Rays this weekend -- arrived via trade during the same offseason. Their tenures have the same expiration dates, too, with both set to become free agents after the season. They share adjacent lockers and spent the offseason mired in the same trade rumors.

Some teammates would ignore that. Some would tiptoe around it. Cease and King? Each time they saw each other during the winter: “You’re still here? You haven’t been traded?”

“I have a lot of respect for him,” Cease said. “But it’s fun to mess around.”

The relationship is rooted in that respect. They only challenge each other as much as they do, because they’ve built that respect.

“There are times you know there are teammates that are rooting against you,” King said. “It’s not a fun atmosphere to be in. I’ve seen that and have played with certain teammates that do that. We’re obviously competing against each other, but we show each other a lot of love. We both know how hard we’re rooting for each other.”

That will continue next year -- wherever they end up. Presumably, the Padres would love to keep both. That’s unlikely. Cease and King are both set for lucrative paydays. At this point, without serious extension discussions on either front during the winter, both seem destined to hit free agency.

That fact -- the idea that two of their best starters could leave in the same offseason -- is what led general manager A.J. Preller to explore trade possibilities. But after top-seven Cy Young finishes for each, Preller set ace-level price tags.

Those prices were not met. As such, King and Cease were back with the Padres for 2025, much to the delight of their teammates, their fanbase, and, deep down, each other.

For all the smack talk, they say they haven’t discussed their pending free agencies. Both have merely decided to enjoy their 2025 season together.

“We’ve never been like, ‘Where do you want to go in free agency?’” King said. “That adds a weird dynamic to the season. Even for me, if I’m focusing on my numbers, I suck. I put way too much pressure on myself. … If I’m out there just trying to win, I’m going to look up at the end of the season and have good numbers.”

King is off to a strong start this year. Cease has struggled a bit, though his numbers look worse because of one bizarre outing in West Sacramento.

There remains a world in which trade negotiations could be reopened ahead of the Deadline. But four weeks into the season, the Padres look like serious contenders -- largely because of their pitching. That would obviously take a hit if they dealt one of their frontline arms.

The likeliest outcome is that both hit free agency after receiving qualifying offers. (The Padres would then receive compensatory Draft picks if either left).

In the meantime, the King-Cease dynamic flourishes into its second year -- King from the northeast, expressive and affable, and Cease from Georgia, thoughtful and concise. They didn’t know each other before they arrived, but it didn’t take long.

“Maybe because we came here around the same time,” King said. “Everybody else here already had relationships, and we kind of built our own relationship to get in with the crowd. But I feel like I’m a personable guy. And Dylan is a character. So it’s really fun for me and boosts my happiness at the field to be joking around with Dylan.”

Said Cease: “Baseball’s hard. It’s good to have guys that hold you accountable and guys that you learn from. It’s good to have that support system.”

Nick Pivetta's 1.20 ERA across his first five starts is the best mark in franchise history. Who previously held that record?

A. Odrisamer Despaigne
B. Joey Hamilton
C. Joe Musgrove
D. Brett Tomko

• Takeaways from the Padres' 2-4 road trip against Houston and Detroit.
 
• No pitcher in franchise history has ever started his Padres tenure like  Pivetta.
 
• Luis Arraez landed on the 7-day concussion IL on Monday.
 
• The injuries are piling up, but there’s a path through for these Padres.

Major League Baseball, in partnership with WM, celebrated Earth Day this week -- and the Padres were honored with the Green Glove Award, which recognizes the organization that diverts the most waste during the season.

The Padres were first-time winners of the honor. Per MLB’s release, they maintained a diversion rate of over 95%, with a 46% increase in total materials diverted year-over-year. The Padres will celebrate Earth Day and sustainability on their upcoming homestand.

PADRES.TV is back for the 2025 season, allowing fans to stream regular-season games in the San Diego area without blackouts. (That offer -- available now for $99.99 -- is only for fans in the Padres’ home TV territory and a separate service from the MLB.TV out-of-market package.)

C. Musgrove posted a 1.24 ERA through his first five starts as a Padre in 2021 -- including his no-hitter in Texas.

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