In Peoria, Arizona, the San Diego Padres have officially secured a four-year contract with right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta worth $55 million, as announced on Monday. This agreement features a backloaded structure which permits Pivetta the option to opt out after the 2026 or 2027 seasons.
As part of the deal, Pivetta receives a $3 million signing bonus along with annual salaries of $1 million for the current year, $19 million in 2026, $14 million in 2027, and $18 million in 2028. Should he choose to leave after just two years, he will have earned $23 million, or $37 million if he opts out after three seasons.
Originally from Victoria, Canada, Pivetta, who celebrated his 32nd birthday last Friday, concluded the previous season with a record of 6-12 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.14 across 26 starts and one game in relief while playing for the Boston Red Sox. He had previously declined a qualifying offer from the team amounting to $21.05 million.
Over the course of eight seasons in Major League Baseball, Pivetta has recorded a total of 56 wins against 71 losses with a 4.76 ERA. He had stints with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2017 to 2020 before being traded to Boston in August 2020. Pivetta primarily relies on his four-seam fastball, which averages 93.9 mph, throwing it 48.6% of the time, while also incorporating other pitches including sweepers (25.7%), curveballs (16.3%), cutters (5.9%), and sliders (3.4%).
The offseason for the Padres has been rather subdued, particularly with the ongoing dispute among the family members of late owner Peter Seidler over the team’s control. So far, they have made minimal additions, bringing in outfielders Jason Heyward and Connor Joe. The Padres were also in contention for Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who ultimately signed with their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Due to Pivetta’s decision to turn down the qualifying offer from the Red Sox, Boston will gain an additional pick before the third round of the upcoming amateur draft scheduled for July. In turn, the Padres will forfeit their second-highest draft selection, currently positioned at No. 64, along with a reduction of $500,000 in their international signing budget for 2026.
