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The San Diego Padres have finally made a free agent splash.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ National League West rivals agreed to a four-year, $55 million deal with right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta, securing the best remaining free agent starting pitcher and filling the team’s biggest need. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the blockbuster signing.
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It has been a disappointing offseason for San Diego, with countless free agents choosing to go to other teams, an ongoing ownership dispute hanging over the franchise, and of course, the team making it to the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes just for the phenom to go to L.A.
The Sasaki rejection hurt especially for the Friars as he was limited to the international bonus pool and would be among their greatest talent on the pitching roster for a fraction of the price.
With the offseason inching along for Padres faithful, the trade mill was another potential option for the ball club.
General manager A.J. Preller dangled some of their core pieces in an effort to draw trade interest from other teams to not only shed payroll but maybe acquire even more talent.
The results of this proved futile as no major trades have been made in San Diego.
With the best remaining free agent pitcher in Pivetta, the Padres seem to have received the green light to spend big and add a legitimate arm to the rotation. However, the unique structure of the contract allows them to spend big in future years, as his salary in 2025 is just $1 million. Then, it shoots up to $19 million in 2026.
Pivetta, 31, is coming off a productive year for the Boston Red Sox.
With a less-than-impressive 6-12 record, the right-hander had a 4.14 ERA over the course of 145.2 innings. His 4.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio was the best of his eight-year career, hurling 172 strikeouts to only 36 walks in 2024.
Pivetta is going to be the No. 4 starter in San Diego barring any trades, joining right-handers Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish, and Michael King.
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Photo Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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