Padres willing to trade away $19 million, 2.87 ERA starting pitcher

Matt Sullivan

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Coming into the 2025-2026 offseason, the San Diego Padres are looking to make a few moves. But, despite the needs on the roster, San Diego has been linked to shipping players out, like Jake Cronenworth, rather than adding this offseason.

One of the more dire areas of the roster to address is the starting rotation. Yu Darvish is not going to pitch in 2026, Dylan Cease signed a $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency, and Michael King looks to be headed elsewhere as well.

This huge hole makes the recent report from Dennis Lin of The Athletic a very odd one. Despite a clear need in the rotation, the Padres are willing to trade away a 2.87 ERA starter who's owed $19 million in 2026.

Padres willing to trade away 2.87 ERA starting pitcher

"The Padres have shown a willingness to entertain offers for Nick Pivetta, league sources told The Athletic," Lin reports. "A deal involving the right-hander is not considered likely - San Diego would require a steep return in exchange for losing Pivetta - but the team's options for rebalancing its payroll are limited."

While Nick Pivetta is a player the Padres are willing to listen to offers on, they won't trade him away as part of a salary dump. They would want a strong return for him, as they don't have to trade him away.

But, in the process of finding ways to move money around this offseason, Pivetta's deal, which rises to $19 million in 2026 compared to just $1 million in 2025, is one of the best contracts to move on from.

More: Padres' Jake Cronenworth gets trade update from ESPN insiders

He is under contract for the next two seasons after 2026, but his opt-out before then could have Pivetta hitting free agency after 2026 if he has another strong season.

Last year, Pivetta had his best year in the Majors, pitching to a 2.87 ERA and finishing sixth in the National League Cy Young voting for 2025.

Amid an effort to rebalance the Padres' books, Cronenworth emerged as a clear trade candidate, and now Pivetta becomes a part of those discussions.

With the Winter Meetings underway, the future of the Padres' roster could come into form this week, as Pivetta could be dealt for the right price to a team in need of a starter.

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Editorial Team