Padres' $55 Million Pitcher Named Top Trade Candidate; Should SD Move Him?

Over the last few years, the San Diego Padres have never been shy when it comes to making trades. Whether this means the team adding talent or sending guys out, the Padres have been aggressive in roster building.

However, this year the front office has taken a step back in terms of adding, especially within the starting rotation. The starters are easily the biggest problem for the Padres right now, and the lack of consistent, reliable arms has already reared its ugly head early in the new year.

San Diego could always look to make a trade down the line to add another pitcher, giving itself a better chance to win. But one pitcher has been mentioned as a possible trade chip in a surprising twist.

Padres' Nick Pivetta Named Trade Candidate

MLB writer Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report recently named 10 top trade chips around baseball, and right-hander Nick Pivetta was mentioned. Rymer makes the claim that San Diego could look to move the pitcher to shed payroll ahead of the upcoming sale of the team.

Pivetta has an interesting contract, which could make a trade tough. The right-hander is in the second-year of a four-year, $55 million deal he signed with San Diego last offseason.

There is a player opt-out for the 2027 season, where he is scheduled to make $14 million. Then, if he were to opt in, he has a player option for 2028 that pays him $18 million.

The right-hander is coming off the best season of his MLB career, so San Diego could look to move him while his value is high. But he was easily the most reliable arm last season, and given all the uncertainty from this year, he will likely be relied upon heavily again.

Why Padres Shouldn't Trade Nick Pivetta

The Padres shouldn't consider trading Pivetta, especially with the need for more help within the rotation. Pivetta was given the nod to be the starter on Opening Day for a reason, and he has been penciled in to be a key piece to the pitching puzzle this year.

In 2025, Pivetta broke out for this team, making 31 starts and posting an ERA of 2.87 overall. In addition, the right-hander led the team in innings pitched (182.1) and wins (13), while punching out 190 batters across the year.

San Diego should hold onto Pivetta, especially since his contract could be a bargain if he were to perform in a similar manner to last year. The Padres have been cutting salary over the last few years, so having a potential steal could make a big difference to this team.

This organization wants to go after a World Series title this season, so moving the right-hander would make them worse. The Padres should be looking to bring in more pitching help rather than moving any arms out of the group.

While trading Pivetta could net the Padres some nice future assets, or more prospects for the farm system that could then be used in another trade, the move wouldn't make sense. San Diego is already struggling to find consistent pitchers for the starting rotation with Pivetta in the mix, so unless the season gets away from them, this move shouldn't be considered.

The Padres have turned Pivetta into a top-of-the-rotation type pitcher. Whether he opts in after this season or not, the team should keep him for a 2026 postseason run.