Padres sign free agent starter to four-year, $55 million contract

The San Diego Padres have signed free agent starting pitcher NIck Pivetta to a four-year, $55 million deal, as first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan. Pivetta's signing marks the biggest move by the Padres this offseason, and adds an eight-year veteran to the pitching staff.

Pivetta, who spent his last five years with Boston, will have the option to opt-out after the second and third years. He led the league in starts made in 2022 with 33, and had a 6-12 record with a 4.14 ERA over 26 starts in 2024.

BREAKING: Right-hander Nick Pivetta and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a four-year, $55 million contract that includes a pair of opt-outs, pending physical, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 13, 2025

Padres sign Nick Pivetta on wildly strange contract

Pivetta's deal with San Diego will see him making just $1 million in 2025, an obvious sign that the Padres are still worried about financial constraints heading into the new season. The contract will then jump up to $19 million in 2026, $14 million in 2027, and $18 million in 2028. He will also receive a $3 million signing bonus.

Looking to bolster the backend of the starting rotation, Pivetta's addition should move either Randy Vasquez or Matt Waldron to a sixth/emergency starter role. If both Dylan Cease and Michael King are still Padres by Opening Day, Pivetta should take the number four spot after Yu Darvish.

2024 did not look the best for Pivetta in the wins and losses department, but looking closer at his stats will reveal he put up similar numbers as his 2023 season, where he had a 10-9 record. A 28.9% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate placed Pivetta in the top 20% of pitchers league wide. With a five pitch mix consisting of a 4-seam, sweeper, curveball, cutter, and slider, Pivetta has seen his K/9 above 10 in four of the last five seasons.

The deal does point to a much higher chance of current ace Cease being traded in the near future. Still looking to move below the luxury tax threshold, the Padres have setup Pivetta's contract in a way that makes re-signing Dylan Cease in 2026 a very difficult task. Instead, the Padres may now be looking to move Cease for a lower asking price to avoid paying his high 2025 salary.

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