The San Diego Padres are navigating a complicated offseason. With questions surrounding the payroll, A.J. Preller faces the challenge of reshaping the roster while still finding ways to add much needed help to the starting rotation.
One potential path is the trade market, where the Padres could acquire affordable pitching. Bob Nightengale of USA Today expects them to go that route.
But his prediction comes with a twist: he believes San Diego will trade a pitcher making $20 million in order to bring in multiple lower cost arms. Rather than rely on one expensive starter, the Padres would spread that money across several cheaper options.
Padres predicted to move $20 million starter to build rotation depth
“Prediction: The Padres will surprise everyone by trading ace Nick Pivetta,” Nightengale wrote, “who’s scheduled to earn $20.5 million, for starters now and in the future.”
Pivetta, who previously pitched for the Phillies and Red Sox, joined San Diego in 2025 and delivered the best year of his career. He posted a 2.87 ERA in 31 starts, finishing 13–5 with a 5.3 bWAR and 190 strikeouts over 181.2 innings. It was a huge jump from the 5.50 ERA he carried in Philadelphia and the 4.47 ERA he had in Boston.
The 32 year old is signed to a $55 million contract and is set to make $20.5 million next season. With that salary in mind, the Padres could look to move him to a team desperate for reliable pitching.
By trading Pivetta, San Diego could bring in several cheaper arms to deepen their rotation. His value may never be higher, making this a logical time to explore a deal. Still, swapping one strong starter for multiple low cost pitchers comes with risk, as the return likely won’t include top tier talent.
Preller will need to get inventive this winter. Moving Pivetta, and possibly a player like Jake Cronenworth, could help the Padres assemble a postseason worthy rotation while operating under a tighter budget.