The Padres on Thursday likely set themselves up to get two additional selections in next year’s draft.

It is also possible, though far less likely, that they made moves that could result in them bringing back a pair of experienced starting pitchers looking to have bounceback seasons.

The club announced it had extended the qualifying offer on Dylan Cease and Michael King, both of whom are expected by industry sources to decline those offers and become among the most sought-after free agents on the market this offseason.

A player who received the qualifying offer, which comes with a guaranteed salary of $22.025 million for 2026, has 10 days to accept or decline.

Should the offer be declined, the player becomes a free agent.

When that player signs with another team, his former club recei

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