MLB Insider Predicts A Nick Pivetta Trade Taking Place

For the last decade or so, the San Diego Padres have changed the narrative. While they used to trade away top talent for prospects, the addition of rockstar GM AJ Preller has flipped the script. 

While Preller has changed Major League talent for prospects, he has also traded a flurry of prospects for Major League talent, including acquiring Juan Soto, Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez, Michael King and plenty of others. 

When the MLB Winter Meetings began, the Padres were a team to watch, and one player who emerged as a trade candidate is starting pitcher Nick Pivetta. 

Pivetta was the Padres' best starter in 2025, posting a 13-5 record with a 2.87 ERA in his first season in San Diego. 

In February, Pivetta finally signed after a long free agency period, and the Padres inked him to a four-year, $55 million deal. This contract looks like a steal after the season Pivetta had. 

With the Winter Meetings over, Bob Nightengale of USA Today gave some predictions, and one of them involved the Padres trading Pivetta. 

"The Padres are desperate for starting pitchers, and even listened intently to offers for Miller to get the help they need. A.J. Preller, president of baseball operations, confirmed that they had trade talks involving Miller, but also Adrian Morejón, Jeremiah Estrada and David Morgan. They have two gaping holes in their rotation that they need to fill, with little money to spend."

Prediction: The Padres will surprise everyone by trading ace Nick Pivetta, who’s scheduled to earn $20.5 million, for starters now and in the future.

In one regard, trading Pivetta would leave a giant hole in the rotation, especially with Dylan Cease signing with the Toronto Blue Jays and Michael King being an option on the free agent market. 

But, we can never count out a massive deal, or handful of deals, from Preller. 

We have seen this before, and everyone has been surprised before, so we will see what Preller has in store for San Diego.