Inside The Padres

Insider Reveals How Nick Pivetta Signing Affects Dylan Cease's Future With Padres

Maren Angus-Coombs|
Sep 18, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) is congratulated in the dugout after a pitching change in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
Sep 18, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) is congratulated in the dugout after a pitching change in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres were relatively quiet all offseason when it came to adding to the roster until striking gold on Wednesday.

San Diego reportedly agreed to a four-year, $55 million contract with free-agent starting pitcher Nick Pivetta. This deal, according to Dennis Lin of the Athletic, could lead San Diego to hang on to starter Dylan Cease until at least the end of spring training.

More news: Padres GM Addresses Dylan Cease Trade Rumors Following Nick Pivetta Signing

However, some baseball insiders believe they could keep Cease longer than that.

"Team and league sources indicated Wednesday night that the Padres currently are inclined to hang on to Cease, a pending free agent, and enter the upcoming season with a rotation led by Cease, Michael King, Yu Darvish and Pivetta," writes Lin.

Pivetta, ranked 31st on The Athletic’s free-agent list, was by far the top remaining starter available. His contract with the Padres includes a $3 million signing bonus and a $1 million salary for 2025, a structure that aligns with the team's financial constraints.

More news: Former Padres Reliever Signs With NL Central Squad

The deal features player opt-outs after 2026 and 2027 and will pay him $19 million in 2026, $14 million in 2027, and $18 million in 2028.

With his first opt-out not available until after the 2026 season, Nick Pivetta is guaranteed at least $23 million over the next two years. Since he turned down a $21.05 million qualifying offer from the Red Sox, the Padres will lose their second-highest pick in the 2025 draft and $500,000 from their 2026 international bonus pool.

With Joe Musgrove out for the season following Tommy John surgery, the Padres desperately needed to find a reliable starter to take his place.

When San Diego opened camp Wednesday, the Padres rotation lacked depth beyond the top three arms. Randy Vásquez and Matt Waldron, both relatively inexperienced, were the frontrunners for the final two spots.

More news: Padres Will Make 2 Blockbuster Trades in Spring Training, Says MLB Analyst

But, with limited major-league-ready starting options in their farm system, the team aimed to stretch out relievers Jhony Brito and Stephen Kolek to create more competition.

Turning 32 on Friday, Pivetta posted a 4.29 ERA across the last four seasons with the Red Sox, pitching 633 innings while maintaining a strikeout-per-inning rate. In 2024, he recorded a 4.14 ERA with 172 strikeouts over 145 2/3 innings. In contrast, Randy Vásquez and Matt Waldron both finished with ERAs close to 5.00.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.

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