Padres Re-Sign Reiss Knehr To Minor League Deal
Right-hander Reiss Knehr and the Padres have reunited on a minor league deal, as first reported by Mad Friars. It’s unclear if the ACES client will be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee or if he’ll head to minor league camp.
Knehr, 28, missed the 2024 season. He underwent Tommy John surgery in the previous summer. The Padres outrighted him off their 40-man roster at the end of the 2023 season. He spent the entire 2024 campaign on the injured list for Triple-A El Paso, then became a free agent at season’s end.
Prior to that lengthy layoff, he was a depth arm for the Friars. He spent the 2021 through 2023 seasons getting frequently optioned to El Paso and back. Over those three years, he tossed 48 1/3 innings in the majors, allowing 5.96 earned runs per nine. His 15.5% strikeout rate and 13.2% walk rate were both subpar figures. That was mostly relief work, with a few “starts” lasting a few innings, topping out at four frames.
As one would expect, his minor league work was more interesting. In 2021, he tossed 75 2/3 innings on the farm over 16 starts and three relief appearances. He had a 3.57 ERA, 21.5% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. In 2022, he posted a dismal 6.88 ERA in a swing role at the Triple-A level, but got back on track the following year. In 2023, he tossed 36 2/3 innings for El Paso, almost exclusively in relief. His only start lasted just three innings. He had a 3.93 ERA for the Chihuahuas, pairing a 27.3% strikeout rate with a 7.3% walk rate.
With those intriguing Triple-A numbers in 2023 and a lost season in 2024, perhaps the Friars will keep him in a relief role from now on. If he shows some health and effectiveness, he will provide the club with a bit of extra non-roster depth. If his contract is selected, he is now out of options but he has barely a year of service time.
Salary Details For Several Minor League Deals
Every offseason, the primary focus for baseball fans is on trades and free agent activity. Naturally, major league free agent signings garner the majority of the attention and generate the most buzz. Minor league signees come with less fanfare, typically with good reason. They tend to be older veterans who are looking to extend their playing careers or perhaps younger names looking to rebound from an injury or a disappointing showing the prior season (sometimes the prior few seasons).
As spring training progresses, we’re seeing an uptick in minor league signings. Free agents who’ve lingered on the market and felt their leverage in negotiations dry up begin to concede and accept non-guaranteed pacts to get to camp in hopes of winning a roster spot.
Salary details for minor league signees isn’t as prominently reported on as it is for players signing guaranteed big league deals. The Associated Press just published a list of free agent signings throughout the winter, including within salary details for a handful of (mostly) recent minor league signings. Many of the salaries reported by the AP were already known and reflected here at MLBTR, but the report does include more than two dozen previously unreported base salaries for players on minor league deals. Here’s a quick rundown (player salary links point back to prior MLBTR posts detailing that minor league signing):
Blue Jays: Jacob Barnes, RHP, $1.4MM | Ryan Yarbrough, LHP, $2MM
Braves: Curt Casali, C, $1.25MM | Buck Farmer, RHP, $1MM
Brewers: Manuel Margot, OF, $1.3MM | Mark Canha, 1B/OF, $1.4MM
Cubs: Brooks Kriske, RHP, $900K | Travis Jankowski, OF, $1.25MM | Chris Flexen, RHP, $1.5MM
Diamondbacks: Garrett Hampson, INF/OF, $1.5MM | Scott McGough, RHP, $1.25MM
Dodgers: Luis Garcia, RHP, $1.5MM
Giants: Lou Trivino, RHP, $1.5MM
Mariners: Shintaro Fujinami, RHP, $1.3MM | Trevor Gott, RHP, $1.35MM
Padres: Yuli Gurriel, 1B, $1.35MM ($100K higher than initially reported)
Rangers: Nick Ahmed, SS, $1.25MM | Jesse Chavez, RHP, $1.25MM | David Buchanan, RHP, $1.375MM | Kevin Pillar, OF, $1MM
Red Sox: Matt Moore, LHP, $2MM
Royals: Luke Maile, C, $2MM | Ross Stripling, RHP, $1.75MM
White Sox: Brandon Drury, INF/OF, $2MM | Mike Clevinger, RHP, $1.5MM
A few things bear emphasizing. First, this is clearly not a comprehensive list of minor league signings throughout the league — nor is it even a comprehensive list of the listed teams’ non-roster invitees to camp. Secondly, many of these sums are of little consequence to the team. They’re not even guaranteed, after all, and even if a player makes the Opening Day roster and earns the full slate of his minor league salary, most of these salaries aren’t going to carry significant payroll ramifications.
That’s not true across the board, though. For instance, the Rangers are fully intent on remaining under the $241MM luxury tax threshold. At present, RosterResource projects them at $235.7MM of luxury obligations. Opting to select the contract of Buchanan or Chavez rather than allocating those innings to pre-arbitration players who’s being paid at league-minimum levels (or a few thousand dollars north of it) would inch the Rangers’ CBT number forward. They’re not going to hit the tax line even in if they wind up adding multiple NRIs to the actual roster, but selecting their contracts will further narrow the resources president of baseball ops Chris Young will have at his disposal for midseason dealings.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, are effectively seated right at the tax threshold. RosterResource has them with $241.4MM of luxury considerations. Team president Sam Kennedy said after signing Alex Bregman that he expects his team will be a CBT payor in 2025. As things stand, the Sox could duck back under that threshold, but selecting the contract of Moore, Adam Ottavino (also $2MM) or another prominent NRI would further signal ownership’s willingness to return to luxury tax status for the first time since 2022.
There’s probably no getting back under the tax line for the Blue Jays, who currently have a $273.3MM CBT number. However, the front office would presumably like to avoid reaching $281MM in tax obligations, as that’s the point at which Toronto’s top pick in the 2026 draft would be dropped by ten spots. In-season trades will have more of an effect on their tax number than decisions on NRIs like Barnes, Yarbrough, Eric Lauer and others, but it bears mentioning that the Blue Jays are around $8MM shy of what many clubs consider to be the most detrimental impact of straying to deep into CBT waters.
Padres Sign Wes Benjamin To Minor League Deal
The Padres signed left-hander Wes Benjamin to a minor league contract with a non-roster invite to MLB Spring Training, reports AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. The southpaw has already reported to camp with San Diego.
Benjamin returns stateside after a three-year run in South Korea with the KT Wiz. The 31-year-old had a generally solid run in the KBO, turning in a 3.74 earned run average in a little more than 400 innings. His ERA successively climbed in each season, finishing at a less impressive 4.63 mark over 28 starts last year. Benjamin topped 150 strikeouts in each of the past two seasons, including a solid 24.4% strikeout rate last year.
Before his move to Korea, Benjamin spent eight years in the Rangers organization. Texas drafted him in the fifth round in 2014 out of the University of Kansas. He made 21 big league appearances (mostly in low-leverage relief) between 2020-21. Benjamin allowed nearly seven earned runs per nine across 45 innings. He posted a near-6.00 ERA over parts of three Triple-A seasons, as well, though he managed a 3.82 mark across seven starts for the White Sox’s top affiliate in 2022 before catching on with the KBO team on a midseason deal.
The Padres seem likely to keep Benjamin stretched out as rotation depth. They filled the final two spots with late free agent pickups of Nick Pivetta and another KBO returnee, Kyle Hart. That nudges Randy Vásquez, Matt Waldron and reliever conversion Stephen Kolek into depth roles. San Diego hasn’t added any much experienced rotation depth to camp on minor league deals, so it’s a decent landing spot for Benjamin as he tries to get back to the majors for the first time in four years.
Padres Notes: Reynolds, Hoeing, Paplham
Sean Reynolds is suffering from a stress reaction in his right foot, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Reynolds will be wearing a walking boot “for at least the next week and a half.” Padres manager Mike Shildt didn’t yet know how much ramp-up time Reynolds might need after the boot is removed, leaving some doubt as to whether or not Reynolds might not be part of the Opening Day roster.
A knee injury already cut short Reynolds’ rookie season after nine MLB appearances and 11 innings, ending a very first strong first impression for the right-hander. Reynolds had an 0.82 ERA and 42.9% strikeout rate during his small sample size, with those eye-popping stats countered by a more modest 10.2% walk rate. In the minors, Reynolds had good strikeout numbers and plenty of control problems, though he only entering his fifth pro season as a pitcher after transitioning from first base and outfield work in his first four years in the Marlins’ farm system.
Reynolds’ fastball clocked within the 95mph range in the minors, but he dialed it up to 96.9mph during his brief stint in San Diego last year. The 26-year-old’s live arm made him a contender to be part of the Padres’ bullpen mix, though his foot injury now sets back his chances of breaking camp with the team. Reynolds has a minor league option remaining, giving the Padres some flexibility in moving him back and forth from Triple-A after he gets healthy.
Bryan Hoeing also made an impact after coming to the Padres along with Tanner Scott at last summer’s trade deadline, as Hoeing posted a 1.52 ERA in 23 2/3 regular-season innings. However, Hoeing is also a question mark in camp, as his first throwing session won’t take place until tomorrow due to a sore right shoulder.
Tests haven’t revealed any structural damage, but Hoeing told Acee that his shoulder has been “barking.” The injury isn’t thought to be overly serious, yet Hoeing’s timeline or his own chances of being part of the Opening Day roster can’t be determined until Hoeing gets onto a mound and starts his throwing progression.
In other pitching news, right-handed pitching prospect Cole Paplham appears to have avoided the worst after he was hit in the face by an Aaron Bracho line drive during today’s game with the Dodgers. Paplham obviously needed some time to recover, and eventually walked to a golf cart that took him off the field. Shildt said Paplham was undergoing testing and “he was conscious, seemed alert, knew where he was. But clearly a scary thing.”
Details On Nolan Arenado Trade Talks
For much of the offseason, a Nolan Arenado trade seemed inevitable. But spring training is now rolling along and he’s still a Cardinal. Today, Katie Woo of The Athletic takes an extensive look at the twists and turns of the winter. Many of the details came out over the past few months but the piece also provides some new tidbits and extra context.
Arenado’s no-trade clause was clearly a key part of the offseason narrative and the club’s efforts to trade him. Reports throughout the winter suggested there was a narrow group of clubs he was willing to join, which Woo confirms in her overview. Arenado told president of baseball operations John Mozeliak that he was willing to waive his no-trade for five clubs: the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Red Sox and Astros.
The first three clubs on that list never seemed especially interested. The Yankees were focused on Juan Soto at the start of the offseason. After missing out there, they pivoted to getting Max Fried, Devin Williams, Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers have Max Muncy at third and didn’t seem keen on a switch. The Padres have Manny Machado at the hot corner. Arenado was reportedly willing to move to a new position but the Friars have budgetary concerns that made a fit tough regardless.
It’s well known by now that the Astros were interested and seemed to have a deal lined up, but Arenado blocked it. Reporting has suggested that Arenado was open to going to Houston but was a bit concerned by the club trading Kyle Tucker and seemingly moving on from Alex Bregman. Woo’s reporting aligns with that framing, with Arenado wanting some time to think about the possibility of becoming an Astro. She writes that he was aware they might move on while he was taking some time to ponder the idea, which is what happened. They quickly signed Christian Walker to cover first base, which effectively locked Isaac Paredes into the third base spot.
That left the Red Sox as the best landing spot for Arenado, with Boston genuinely interested. However, they bolstered their infield by waiting out Bregman and signing him, taking them out of the running for Arenado.
Woo reports that other clubs checked in about Arenado’s availability, including the Royals, Tigers, Mariners and Angels. Those were all sensible on-paper landing spots. The Royals were looking to add a big bat to the lineup and could bump Maikel Garcia to a utility role. The Tigers were involved in the Bregman market, making him a six-figure offer, clearly indicating a willingness to add an established third baseman ahead of prospect Jace Jung. The infield had been a target for the Mariners this winter, who eventually added Donovan Solano and re-signed Jorge Polanco. The Angels were looking to add at third base with Anthony Rendon no longer reliable, eventually signing Yoán Moncada. However, none of those clubs made progress with the Cardinals, as they were informed that Arenado wasn’t interested in waiving his no-trade protection for them.
All of that led to Mozeliak recently declaring that Arenado would stay a Cardinal, suggesting that he would have to change his team preferences in order for a deal to come together. That doesn’t seem likely to come to pass. Arenado has a two-year-old kid and is apparently only open to uprooting his family under very specific circumstances. It’s long been reported that Arenado is primarily motivated by winning but it appears that his off-field circumstances are also playing a notable role in his decision making. “I don’t see myself changing that list ever,” Arenado said. “I have a family now. … To be willing to pick up my family and move them, it has to be something that’s worth it.”
That’s his right as a player with a no-trade clause, though it leaves the Cardinals in an awkward spot. They are doing a reset, trying to turn the franchise away from upgrading the big league roster to a focus more on player development. It’s unclear how long it will take them to make a full-throated attempt at competing again. For now, Arenado is still on the team, which his contract running through 2027. He’ll be 36 years old in the final year of that pact.
It’s possible a trade could come together at the deadline or in another offseason, but it seems it would have to involve a change at one of Arenado’s preferred destinations. Muncy is in the final guaranteed year of his deal, so perhaps a move to the Dodgers for 2026 is possible, though they could keep Muncy around for ’26 via a $10MM club option. Goldschmidt is only on a one-year deal, so the Yankees might have more interest in an infield addition next winter. Bregman could opt out of his Boston deal, though they have a number of infield prospects likely to be coming up this year. Perhaps the Padres would have interest next winter after Luis Arráez, Dylan Cease and Michael King hit free agency, with Robert Suarez having the change to opt-out as well. A significant injury or two could always change the calculus somewhere.
“If something comes up and it makes sense, I’ll certainly get with him and we’ll talk about it,” Mozeliak said over the weekend. “But it’s not something where I’m getting up every morning and chasing the waiver wire or chasing injuries. I think from our fan perspective, from our team perspective, from our perspective, he is a part of the Cardinals.”
It’s an interesting end to an offseason where Mozeliak regarded an Arenado trade as a top priority. The Cards wanted to reduce payroll and open up some playing time for younger players. They could have dropped the payroll in other ways, such as by trading guys like Ryan Helsley or Erick Fedde, but haven’t shown much interest in doing that in the short term. Perhaps the Cardinals will end up being one of the most interesting clubs to watch when the July deadline rolls around, whether Arenado is likely to move or not.
Details On Nick Pivetta’s Contract With Padres
The Padres signed Nick Pivetta to a four-year earlier this week. Previous reporting had revealed that it was a four-year, $55MM deal, though heavily backloaded. Pivetta will receive a $3MM signing bonus, then make a salary of just $1MM this year, followed by salaries of $19MM, $14MM and $18MM in the next three years. He has the opportunity to opt out after the second and third years of the deal. Yesterday, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press provided some new details that had not been previously reported.
The new details revolve around contingencies for the Padres if Pivetta gets injured. Pivetta’s $14MM salary in 2027 becomes a club option “if at any point through 2026 he has a specified injury or surgery related to the injury and is on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period.” Blum mentions that Pivetta spent time on the injured list in 2024 due to a right elbow flexor strain, implying that the contract provision relates to a significant elbow surgery.
If the Padres turn down the option, Pivetta would head back to free agency in the 2026-27 offseason. At that point, he will have made $23MM over the first two years of the deal. If those injury conditions are not met, then Pivetta will have a $14MM player option and $18MM player option for 2027 and 2028.
The Friars can also trigger a 2029 club option for 2029, valued at just $5MM, “if Pivetta has the specified injury or surgery related to the specified injury and goes on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period, all occurring from July 1, 2026, through the 2028 season.”
It seems the Padres have built in some cover for themselves if Pivetta needs to miss significant time, likely due to Tommy John surgery or a similar procedure. A major elbow surgery usually requires a player to miss 14 months or more, which can be a big sunk cost for a club’s payroll. The Padres have been dealing with notable financial restraints in recent years, so that’s perhaps even more so for them. With these contract provisions, they have a few options in the event Pivetta does get hurt.
At the end of 2026, they can walk away if Pivetta is slated to miss a decent chunk of the next year or two. If he sticks around but then suffers a major injury in the latter half of the deal, the 2029 option gives them a chance to add an extra year of control at a bargain rate.
Padres Re-Sign Tim Locastro To Minor League Deal
Outfielder Tim Locastro is returning to the Padres on a minor league contract, Locastro himself tells Robert Harding of the Auburn Citizen. The Warner Sports client is on the mend from shoulder surgery performed last July and will head to minor league camp.
Locastro, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Padres last offseason as well. He hit well, putting up a line of .333/.449/.479 in Triple-A, but in just 33 games. As he himself tells Harding, he landed awkwardly during a steal attempt in the middle of May and dislocated his right shoulder. He tried to rehab this injury but was unsuccessful, undergoing the aforementioned July surgery to repair damage in that shoulder, including to his labrum. He tells Harding that he’s now healthy and ready to go for the 2025 season.
Though he didn’t make it to the majors last year, Locastro did appear in the previous seven campaigns. He’s never been a full-time player but his tremendous speed has made him an attractive bench piece. He has stolen 45 bags in 50 attempts at the big league level. Statcast ranked him as having 100th percentile sprint speed from 2019 to 2021, dropping slightly to 99th and 93rd percentile in 2022 and 2023.
He has stepped to the plate 616 times in the majors, with a line of .228/.327/.337. That translates to a wRC+ of 85, indicating he’s been about 15% below league average. He’s generally been better in the minors, with a career line of .289/.387/.457 in Triple-A, but hasn’t been able to put up that kind of performance in the show. Despite his speed, reviews on his defense are mixed. He has been graded as worth five Outs Above Average but Defensive Runs Saved has him at -5 in his 1,218 2/3 innings.
The Padres have two outfield spots spoken for, with Jackson Merrill in center and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right. Jason Heyward and Connor Joe will seemingly form a platoon in left. Players like Tirso Ornelas and Brandon Lockridge are on the 40-man and could earn some playing time, but they also have options and could get regular action in the minors instead.
If Locastro can play his way onto the roster, he’ll provide the Friars with a speedy bench outfielder. For now, he’ll join Oscar González and Forrest Wall as notable minor league signees in the outfield mix. Locastro has less than five years of service time but is out of options.
MLBTR Podcast: Alex Bregman, The Padres Add Players, And No Extension For Vlad Jr.
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Red Sox signing Alex Bregman (1:15)
- The Tigers just missing on Bregman (9:35)
- The Cardinals seemingly holding onto Nolan Arenado (12:15)
- The Padres signing Nick Pivetta and Kyle Hart (17:40)
- The Blue Jays not getting an extension done with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (20:50)
- The Diamondbacks extending Geraldo Perdomo (31:30)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- The Twins had a quiet offseason but projection systems have them winning the division. Are they the best team in the AL Central? (38:25)
- Why did the Giants have a quiet offseason apart from Willy Adames and Justin Verlander? Was it ownership reluctance or Buster Posey’s conservative stance? (42:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- Pete Alonso’s Deal, And Potential Landing Spots For Bregman and Arenado – listen here
- Jack Flaherty Back To Detroit, Max Scherzer, And What’s Next For The Padres – listen here
- Ryan Pressly To The Cubs, Bregman’s Future, And Jurickson Profar – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Padres, Yuli Gurriel Agree To Minor League Deal
The Padres are in agreement with veteran first baseman Yuli Gurriel on a minor league deal. Francys Romero first reported that the sides were making progress on a contract. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Mato Sports Management client gets a non-roster invite to MLB camp and would secure a $1.25MM base salary if he cracks the big league roster. There’s an additional $1MM in performance bonuses.
It’s a solid landing spot for the former batting champ, who is going into his age-41 season. The Friars have an opening at designated hitter. Skipper Mike Shildt said last week that he intended to use Luis Arraez as his primary first baseman while keeping Jake Cronenworth at second base. That more or less leaves DH up for grabs. 24-year-old outfielder Tirso Ornelas would probably be the choice if San Diego opts for a player who is already on the 40-man roster.
They’ll probably go with a non-roster invitee, though, considering Ornelas has yet to reach the majors. Gurriel joins former White Sox first baseman Gavin Sheets in camp. Outfielder Oscar Gonzalez and utility infielder Mike Brosseau also landed camp invites from San Diego. Gurriel is the most accomplished of the group, though his production has dropped sharply over the past three seasons. He’s a two-time World Series champion from his seven-year run in Houston. Gurriel won a Gold Glove and the aforementioned batting title in 2021, which stands as his most recent productive season.
Gurriel stumbled to a .242/.288/.360 slash during his final year with the Astros. He posted similar production over 329 plate appearances for the Marlins in 2023. Gurriel barely played in the majors last year. He spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A with Atlanta before catching on with the Royals as a September call-up. The righty hitter turned in a .241/.338/.296 showing across 18 games with Kansas City. He appeared six more times in the playoffs, hitting .190 in 21 at-bats.
While Gurriel hasn’t produced against major league pitching in a decent amount of time, he had a strong year in Triple-A. He slashed .292/.378/.485 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts across 75 games for Atlanta’s top affiliate. He still has excellent pure contact skills.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, MLB free agents who sign minor league deals more than 10 days before Opening Day have three guaranteed opt-out opportunities: five days before Opening Day, May 1, and June 1. Gurriel qualifies, since he has six-plus years of MLB service time and finished last season on K.C.’s big league roster. He can head back to the open market at the end of camp if the Padres decide not to carry him on the Opening Day roster.
Padres Sign Nick Pivetta
Feb. 17: Pivetta passed his physical and has reported to Padres camp. The team has formally announced his four-year contract.
Feb. 12: The Padres are reportedly in agreement with Nick Pivetta on a backloaded four-year, $55MM deal. The CAA client receives a $3MM signing bonus and a $1MM salary for the upcoming season. He’s guaranteed $19MM, $14MM, and $18MM salaries over the following three seasons and can opt out after the contract after the second and third years. While the salary structure helps the Padres navigate short-term payroll constraints, the $13.75MM average annual value counts evenly against the team’s luxury tax calculation. The deal is pending a physical and has not been officially announced by the Padres, who have two openings on their 40-man roster.
Pivetta, who’ll celebrate his 32rd birthday on Friday, was the best unsigned starting pitcher. He had declined a $21.05MM qualifying offer from the Red Sox at the beginning of the offseason. That was a bit of a surprising decision that presumably played a role in holding up his market into Spring Training. He finds a multi-year deal with a much greater overall guarantee than he would have received had he accepted the QO, though he’s taking a notable pay cut for the upcoming season in the process.
The 6’5″ righty debuted with the Phillies in 2017. He struggled for most of his four-year tenure in Philadelphia. A 2020 deadline trade sending him to Boston turned his career around. Pivetta has been a mid-rotation workhorse over the last four years. He ranks 23rd in MLB with 623 innings since the start of the 2021 season. He owns a cumulative 4.33 earned run average and has allowed an ERA between 4.04 and 4.56 in each season.
Pivetta was a fixture in Alex Cora’s rotation over his first two seasons in Boston. He remained in that role early in the ’23 campaign, but the Sox kicked him to the bullpen in the middle of May. Pivetta was sitting on a 6.30 ERA over his first eight starts of the season. He had a fantastic turnaround in a long relief capacity. Pivetta allowed 1.98 earned runs per nine with an exceptional 36.9% strikeout rate over his first 17 relief appearances. Boston gradually stretched him back out to a rotation workload as the season progressed, putting him back in the starting five entering last season.
A flexor strain in his elbow sent him to the injured list in early April. That was remarkably the first non-virus IL stint of his nearly seven-year MLB career. Pivetta returned no worse for wear a month later and stayed heathy from May onwards. He wound up taking the ball 27 times and worked to a 4.14 ERA across 145 2/3 innings.
Pivetta’s run prevention numbers are those of a league average starter. That alone would be a significant boost to a San Diego rotation that needs reliable back-end innings. Pivetta’s strikeout and walk profile has been more intriguing than the bottom line results. He punched out 28.9% of opposing hitters against a modest 6.1% walk rate last season. That was the third season of the past four years in which he has posted a well above-average strikeout rate.
However, the swing-and-miss ability has been somewhat undercut by longstanding issues keeping the ball in the park. Pivetta has allowed a higher than average home run rate in every season of his MLB career. He gives up a lot of hard contact. While Statcast’s park factors grade Fenway Park as one of the sport’s most hitter-friendly venues overall, it has played around neutral for home runs over the past few seasons. Petco Park has been around average for home runs as well, though it broadly plays more favorably for pitchers.
Pivetta slots fourth on Mike Shildt’s rotation depth chart for the moment. He’s behind Dylan Cease, Michael King and Yu Darvish in what had been a very top-heavy rotation. It’s a lot more balanced now, as Pivetta can provide innings that San Diego lost when Joe Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery last fall. That’d leave one spot up for grabs among the likes of Randy Vásquez, Matt Waldron and potential reliever conversion candidates Bryan Hoeing and Stephen Kolek.
That’d only be the case if there are no other moves before Opening Day. The Padres have been hamstrung all offseason by payroll restrictions. It’s the second straight winter in which the front office has had limited financial leeway. They’ve inked a trio of cheap one-year deals to plug holes at catcher and left field. They signed Elias Díaz for $3.5MM to start behind the plate while bringing in Connor Joe and Jason Heyward for a left field platoon at a combined $2MM cost.
Pivetta won’t make much more than that in year one. The bigger ramifications are from a luxury tax perspective. The Padres snuck below the tax line in 2024. They’ve seemingly preferred to do so again this offseason. The Padres had projected narrowly above this year’s $241MM base threshold. Pivetta pushes them close to the second tax tier. RosterResource calculates their tax number around $258MM. The actual fees are relatively small. They’re taxed at a 20% rate on spending between $241MM and $261MM. They’ll pay a $2.75MM tax on the Pivetta deal and are currently lined up for about $3.4MM in taxes overall.
While ownership may simply be willing to live with that relatively small tax bill, the front office could consider payroll-clearing trades in the coming weeks. Cease, who has a $13.75MM tax number himself for his final arbitration season, has been in trade rumors all offseason. King ($7.75MM) has been the subject of lesser trade chatter, while Robert Suarez and Luis Arraez have also been speculated about. Trading Cease or King would again raise questions about the rotation’s stability, though any such deal would almost certainly include at least one affordable MLB rotation piece in the return package.
The money isn’t the only cost for San Diego. They’ll surrender their second-round pick (#64 overall) in the upcoming draft, as well as $500K from their 2026 bonus pool for international amateurs, because Pivetta had declined the qualifying offer. The Red Sox get a compensation pick in the ’25 draft, which will land 77th overall.
Pivetta winds up being the only free agent starter of this offseason to sign a four-year deal. Michael Wacha, Yusei Kikuchi, Sean Manaea, Nathan Eovaldi and Luis Severino each signed for three years but pulled higher annual values. All but Wacha landed a larger overall guarantee. Severino and Manaea had also declined qualifying offers, while Wacha would have received one had he not re-signed with Kansas City just before QO decisions were due. Pivetta will collect $23MM over the next two seasons. His opt-out decisions will come when there are two years at $32MM and (if he doesn’t take the first out) one year at $18MM remaining.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the signing and the salary breakdown. Image courtesy of Imagn.