Nick Pivetta has finalized a notable agreement as the final prominent free-agent pitcher of the offseason, signing a lucrative four-year, $55 million contract with the San Diego Padres, according to a confidential source involved in the discussions.
The individual requested anonymity due to the fact that the deal, which was initially reported by ESPN, is contingent upon Pivetta passing a physical examination.
The contract includes a signing bonus of $3 million, with salary figures set at $1 million for the current year, $19 million in 2026, $14 million in 2027, and $18 million in 2028.
Additionally, Pivetta has the option to opt out after the 2026 and 2027 seasons to once again enter free agency.
Should he choose to leave after two seasons, he would secure $23 million, and if he departs after three seasons, that figure would increase to $37 million.
Pivetta, who will celebrate his 32nd birthday on Friday, had a challenging season last year with a record of 6-12 and a 4.14 ERA over 26 starts and one relief appearance while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.
He declined a qualifying offer worth $21.05 million from Boston prior to signing with the Padres.
Throughout his eight-year career in Major League Baseball, Pivetta has accumulated a record of 56-71 and a 4.76 ERA with the Philadelphia Phillies (2017-2020) and the Red Sox, who brought him on board in a trade during August 2020.
His four-seam fastball averaged 93.9 mph and was utilized 48.6% of the time, alongside a mix of other pitches, including sweepers (25.7%), curveballs (16.3%), cutters (5.9%), and sliders (3.4%).
This offseason has been relatively quiet for the Padres, partly due to ongoing disputes among the family of the late owner Peter Seidler regarding control of the team.
The Padres made some moves to bolster their roster by signing outfielders Jason Heyward and Connor Joe, but faced competition as they pursued Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who ultimately joined the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Due to Pivetta’s decision to bypass the qualifying offer from the Red Sox, Boston will benefit by receiving an extra pick before the third round of the amateur draft set for July.
On the other hand, this means that the Padres will forfeit their second-highest draft selection, which is currently at No. 64, in addition to $500,000 in their international signing bonus pool for 2026.
