Early on Tuesday, it was reported that the San Diego Padres were interested in trading Nick Pivetta, who is the team's top starting pitcher.
‘The Padres have shown a willingness to entertain offers for Nick Pivetta, league sources told The Athletic. A deal involving the right-hander is not considered likely — San Diego would require a steep return in exchange for losing Pivetta — but the team’s options for rebalancing its payroll are limited,” Dennis Lin reported.
This news certainly came out of nowhere. Pivetta is the best pitcher that the Friars have. The team lost Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays early in the offseason, and Michael King is a free agent. King could return to the Padres, but there is a chance that he takes a big contract elsewhere. Joe Musgrove is returning from his Tommy John absence, and Yu Darvish will miss the season after undergoing UCL surgery. The Padres' rotation is a mess.
Pivetta was one of the best pitchers in the league last season. He posted a 2.87 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 5.3 WAR with 13 wins. He struck out 190 batters in 181.2 innings. He had an opponent batting average of .194 and a .253 OOBP. Hitters struggled all season long trying to get to Pivetta. He gave the Padres a ton of dominant innings.
Despite his dominance, the Padres could still trade their top starter. Let's break down which teams could be the best fit for a potential blockbuster trade.
No. 2 Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a great fit for the right-hander. The Orioles recently traded away Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for Taylor Ward. That frees up a rotation spot for a team that desperately needs a dominant pitcher.
The Orioles' best starters are Dean Kremer and Kyle Bradish as of right now. Tomoyuki Sugano, Zach Eflin, and Charlie Morton are free agents. The Orioles need to make a move for starting pitching. This opportunity for Pivetta would come with a high cost, but the Orioles have the prospects and talent to be able to pull this off. Baltimore contains young talent who are controllable, and the Padres could shed payroll to the Orioles.
The Orioles had a down year after showing up in 2024 with a statement. They will be looking to have a bounce-back season, but won't be able to do that if they don't improve the rotation.
No. 1 Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are one of the best teams in the league. They fell to the Seattle Mariners in the AL Divisional Round in shocking fashion. Tarik Skubal proved to be the top starting pitcher last season, but his future with the team is still up in the air. Whether they trade Skubal or not, the Tigers have a chance to get some insurance by trading for Pivetta. The Tigers have a ton of talent capable of going back to San Diego for a blockbuster trade that are not expensive.
As of now, only Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, and Troy Melton are listed as starting pitchers on the 40-man roster. Pivetta would immediately become the best right-handed pitcher on the roster. The Padres are looking for starting pitching in return, but with A.J. Preller as general manager, anything is possible. This trade with the Tigers could lead to multiple other deals.
The Tigers are the best option for Pivetta, with how close they are to being able to contend, and the future of Skubal is up in the air.
