Nick Pivetta’s future with the Padres is suddenly looking a lot murkier, and the calendar is doing him no favors.
San Diego is in the thick of the National League wild-card race, trying to lock down a postseason spot while the front office also keeps an eye on what comes next. And one of the biggest offseason questions already hanging over the club is whether Pivetta will still be part of the picture.
The right-hander has been limited to just four starts this season because of an elbow injury, and a setback during a rehab outing has put him on track to miss the Aug. 22 deadline to be on the Padres’ major league roster. If that happens, his player option would convert to a team option, and there’s little reason to think San Diego will exercise it.
As Padres insider Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune put it: "It has become a virtual certainty that Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta will not be on the major league roster by Aug. 22, which means his player option for 2027 becomes a team option that almost certainly will not be picked up," Acee wrote.
Pivetta’s option structure gives him a player option for $14 million for 2027 and $18 million for 2028. The Padres could try to work out a new deal with him later, but on the current contract, the injury situation makes that hard to justify.
That said, the relationship between the pitcher and the team doesn’t sound strained. Acee noted that Pivetta has declined to talk about the deadline or the contract angle, but people close to his thinking say he’s focused on getting back on the mound this season. He also wrote that "the communication between Pivetta and the Padres has been excellent and the relationship between the sides is strong."
Dennis Lin of The Athletic, speaking on 97.3 The Fan, described the contract decision from the Padres’ side as pretty straightforward if the elbow remains an issue.
"If his elbow is compromised, then it seems like a good chance the team would much prefer to get out of [his contract]," Lin said. "Clearly he's not fully healthy, and if there is a possibility that it looks like he's gonna need surgery in the relatively near future, that might wipe out his entire next season."
"I think the Padres would like to have him back if he's healthy," Lin added. "I mean, that's a big if."
Pivetta had been working toward a return before the Aug. 22 deadline, but his rehab took another hit when he left his first rehab appearance early after feeling something strange in his elbow.
“First two guys, I felt really good, strong, healthy,” Pivetta said. “Threw a couple pitches, continued to kind of feel the same type of sensation, and then I just kind of got to a point where I didn’t really want to pitch anymore, and I just kind off walked off the mound.”
The team has suggested it may have avoided something major, but there still isn’t a clear picture of what comes next. Pivetta threw a bullpen on Monday, and the Padres are waiting to see how he responds.
A year ago, he looked like the ace of the staff. This season was supposed to be another step in that direction. Instead, the elbow injury has changed everything, and his place in San Diego is now very much in doubt.
In Other News...
Joe Musgrove Just Made His Padres Return Urgency Clear
The Padres made their deadline intentions plain by adding Casey Mize and Robbie Ray to shore up a rotation that needed more depth for the stretch run. For Joe Musgrove, who is still rehabbing from injury, the moves may have offered a little breathing room in the moment, but they did not change the bigger picture: he still sees his return as something that needs to happen soon, and his own timetable remains tied to helping San Diego in a meaningful way down the stretch.
Musgrove has made it clear he wants enough time on the mound to build back into a real rhythm before October arrives. The additions gave the club some immediate help and, in his mind, a touch of mental relief, but they also underscored why his presence still matters. San Diego can survive with more options now, yet the veteran right-hander is focused on giving the Padres the kind of innings that make a postseason push feel complete. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Are One Vote Away From A Franchise Defining Change
The Padres are on the verge of a major ownership shift, with Major League Baseballs other 29 owners set to weigh in on a sale that would reshape the clubs future. The move comes at a time when the team has shown on-field progress and continued to spend more aggressively on payroll, making the timing of the transition feel especially significant for a franchise trying to sustain its rise.
Approval from 22 owners is needed to clear the deal, and the change would place Jos E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones at the center of the Padres next chapter. Feliciano is expected to control a stake above 40 percent, and with the vote approaching, the only real question is whether the final step in this franchise-defining change will arrive without any unexpected resistance. [Read more 🡒]
Padres May Be Near A Catcher Decision That Changes Everything
The Padres are in a familiar position for a contending club in August, weighing present needs against a longer-term bet that could reshape the roster behind the plate. Ethan Salas, the organizations top catching prospect, has kept moving through Double-A and Triple-A this season with enough offensive production to keep the conversation alive, and his name is now sitting squarely in the middle of San Diegos plans at a position where the big league club already carries three catchers.
What makes this situation more than a routine prospect watch is how quickly it could turn from internal debate to roster move. Salas has long been viewed as the future at catcher, and the Padres have an incentive to get him lined up for potential postseason use if they decide the timing is right. The question now is less about whether he belongs in the organizations long-range picture and more about how soon the Padres are willing to make room for him. [Read more 🡒]