Padres Face Vital Decision On Starting Pitcher's Team Option

Right-hander starter Nick Pivetta headed into the 2026 campaign with an option to opt out of his contract with the San Diego Padres at year's end. However, after spending over 130 days on the injured list, his player option became a club option because of a stipend in the deal.

That power shift from Pivetta to San Diego could turn out to be a huge piece of the Padres’ offseason as free agency looms. The Padres already have several key players either hitting free agency or expected to opt out of their contracts, putting the spotlight on the San Diego front office to control the damage.

President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller and the Padres will decide whether or not they accept the $14 million team option on the 33-year-old after an impressive, albeit short, 2026 season.

Pivetta posted a 2.86 ERA and 2.21 FIP across his eight starts this season. He made just four starts to begin the year before spending the next five months on the IL due to an elbow injury – the same one that allowed the player option to flip to a club option. Though his sample size was small, he was striking out 10.9 batters per nine while walking just 2.1.

It was a continuation of how his tenure in San Diego has gone for Pivetta on the mound, recording his best numbers since signing with the Padres before the 2025 campaign. Looking at the numbers, a $14 million salary for 2027 seems well worth it for the production Pivetta provides on the mound.

The concern, of course, comes with the injury. If San Diego were to accept the option, they would need to get their fair share of innings out of Pivetta. The Padres’ front office will likely already be forced to spend a huge chunk this offseason to retain or sign other pitchers, meaning they won’t have the funds to make up for an injured piece.

The good news is that 2026 was the first season in which Pivetta hasn't thrown over 140 innings since 2019. Though his recent injury is what sticks in our minds, his history shows that this isn’t a part of Pivetta’s story.

So, should the Padres accept the $14 million club option to keep Pivetta in San Diego for 2027? Absolutely. With key arms already set to hit the open market, keeping the 10-year veteran is a must in a world in which the Padres are unable to replace other departing players.

Fellow starters Michael King, Robbie Ray, Casey Mize, and Walker Buehler are all either unrestricted free agents or deciding on a player option. In a world where all four players land elsewhere, Pivetta’s arm becomes that much more valuable. It seems the baseball gods have blessed the Padres with this contract option conversion; it’d be a shame if they didn’t take advantage of it.