The Padres continue to reshape their rotation, bringing in Southern California native Griffin Canning on a deal that's pending a physical. With the 40-man roster already full following the Nick Castellanos signing, San Diego will need to make a corresponding move to clear space for the right-hander, who is represented by Wasserman.
For Canning, this is something of a homecoming. Born in Mission Viejo and a former standout at UCLA, the 29-year-old returns to SoCal after spending the early part of his big league career with the Angels.
Once a top-100 prospect, Canning never quite hit his ceiling in Anaheim, finishing his tenure there with a 4.78 ERA over 508 innings across 99 appearances (94 starts). The Angels eventually dealt him to the Braves last offseason in a cost-cutting move involving Jorge Soler.
Atlanta, more interested in shedding Soler's salary than in keeping Canning, non-tendered the righty shortly after.
That opened the door for the Mets, who signed Canning to a one-year, $4.25 million deal. Early returns were promising - he posted a sharp 2.47 ERA through his first nine outings in New York - but things took a turn. A rough stretch in his next seven starts pushed his ERA to 3.77, and then came the real setback: a ruptured Achilles tendon in late June that ended his season.
Still, there’s optimism around Canning’s recovery. He recently threw in a showcase for scouts and reportedly touched 93 mph on the gun - a promising sign given the stage of his rehab.
He’s targeting Opening Day or shortly thereafter for his return, and clearly, the Padres liked what they saw. They weren’t alone - the Mets, Cardinals, and White Sox were all reportedly in the mix - but San Diego won out, adding another arm to a rotation that’s been in flux all winter.
The Padres’ starting pitching depth took a hit with Dylan Cease heading to Toronto and Yu Darvish sidelined for the entire 2026 season following internal brace surgery. Re-signing Michael King brought some stability, and now Canning joins a group that includes King, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, JP Sears, and Joe Musgrove, who’s working his way back from Tommy John surgery. If Canning is healthy and effective, he could bump Vasquez or Sears into a bullpen or swingman role.
There are reasons to believe Canning could carve out a meaningful role. In 2025, he showed signs of evolution, particularly with his ground ball rate.
Over 76 1/3 innings, he posted a 50.9% grounder rate - a significant jump from the 39.5% he logged during his time with the Angels. That shift helped mitigate the impact of some loud contact (his 45.7% hard-hit rate ranked in just the 11th percentile).
On the flip side, his 10.7% walk rate was a career high, and his 21.3% strikeout rate was fairly pedestrian. Still, there's enough in the profile to suggest he could be more than just a depth piece.
We’ve already seen the Padres help pitchers tap into new levels - Nick Pivetta’s breakout in 2025 is a prime example. If Canning can stay healthy and regain his early-season form from last year, he could be a sneaky valuable addition to the back of the rotation.
Contract details haven’t been disclosed yet, but it’s reasonable to assume Canning’s deal is in the ballpark of the $4.5 million he earned with the Mets. For a Padres team operating under financial constraints, that’s a manageable price tag.
Even so, the addition nudges San Diego over the second tier of the luxury tax threshold. According to RosterResource, the Padres now project for a $220.9 million payroll and a $265.48 million luxury tax figure - both slightly above their 2025 totals and just over the second tax tier of $264 million.
Bottom line: Canning brings some upside, some questions, and some much-needed depth to a Padres rotation that’s been searching for answers. If he can stay on the mound and keep the ball on the ground, he might just be one of the offseason’s quieter wins.