The San Diego Padres declined their $14 million team option on right-hander Nick Pivetta on Sunday, making him a free agent, according to MLB.com. The move ends what could have been a two-year commitment worth $32 million and sends Pivetta to the open market as he heads into his age-34 season.
Had the Padres exercised the option, Pivetta would have had an $18 million player option for 2028 tacked on. Instead, both sides now go their separate ways, at least for the moment. The Padres have expressed interest in bringing Pivetta back on a new deal, according to MLB.com, even as they walked away from the original terms.
The Terms Behind The Decision
Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million contract with San Diego that initially set up 2027 and 2028 as player option years worth a combined $32 million. That structure shifted after the Padres gained decision-making power over the 2027 season, and they opted not to pay $14 million for a pitcher who made just eight starts in 2026.
A right elbow flexor strain, suffered in his fourth start of the season on April 12 against the Colorado Rockies, sidelined Pivetta until Sept. 7, nearly five months on the injured list. It marked the second time the same injury has interrupted his career; he also missed time with a flexor strain while pitching for the Boston Red Sox in 2024.
What The Decision Means For The Padres
San Diego’s rotation outlook has thinned out fast. Michael King, the team’s best starter in 2026, opted out of his own deal earlier in the week. Casey Mize, Robbie Ray and Walker Buehler are also hitting free agency, stripping the Padres of four veteran starters in a matter of days.
That leaves Joe Musgrove and Randy Vásquez as the Padres’ main returning rotation pieces heading into 2027. Musgrove appeared in the 2026 playoffs after returning from Tommy John surgery, giving San Diego at least one proven arm back in the fold. Yu Darvish’s future with the organization remains unsettled, according to MLB.com, adding another layer of uncertainty to a rotation that needs rebuilding.
Despite declining the option, the Padres have signaled they still want Pivetta in the mix, which suggests the door remains open for a reworked contract rather than a clean break.
Pivetta’s Performance And Career Background
Pivetta’s 2026 season was a story of two extremes. He threw just eight starts total because of the elbow injury, but when healthy down the stretch, he was dominant. Over his final four regular-season starts, he posted a 1.45 ERA across 18 2/3 innings. He carried that form into October, allowing three runs on eight hits over two postseason starts spanning 7 2/3 innings, with eight strikeouts against two walks.
That stretch stood in contrast to his health record. The 2026 season was limited, but 2025, his first with San Diego, showed what a full season from Pivetta looks like: 31 starts, a 2.87 ERA and a sixth-place finish in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Pivetta broke into the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies before a midseason trade sent him to the Red Sox in 2020. Across 10 big league seasons, he carries a career 4.43 ERA, a number that undersells the peaks he has shown in both Boston and San Diego but reflects the inconsistency and injury history that likely shaped the Padres’ decision on the option.
What’s Next
Pivetta is now a free agent and can sign with any club, including the Padres, who have already voiced interest in a new arrangement. San Diego enters the offseason needing to replace King, Mize, Ray and Buehler on top of figuring out Pivetta’s status and Darvish’s future, leaving Musgrove and Vásquez as the only certainties in next year’s rotation plans.
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