The San Diego Padres have taken a significant step to reinforce their starting rotation, finalizing a four-year, $55 million agreement with veteran right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

This contract is contingent upon passing a physical examination and features opt-out clauses after both the second and third years. Financially, the agreement includes a $3 million signing bonus and a modest $1 million salary in 2025, escalating to $19 million, $14 million, and $18 million in subsequent years from 2026 to 2028, as reported by Passan.

This structure benefits the Padres, who are focusing on managing expenses after a season with an estimated payroll of $194 million for 2025, marking an increase of approximately $30 million from the previous Opening Day figures.

As Pivetta approaches his 32nd birthday this Friday, he is expected to slot in behind the existing trio of Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish, and Michael King. This leaves Matt Waldron and Randy Vasquez, among others, vying for the fifth spot in the rotation.

As one of the few dependable starting pitchers left on the free agency list, Pivetta has earned praise for his stamina, ability to extend innings, and knack for racking up strikeouts.

During his four seasons with the Boston Red Sox, he averaged 156 innings pitched, maintained a 4.33 ERA, and struck out 26.9% of opposing batters. Last season, with 145⅔ innings thrown, Pivetta achieved a 4.14 ERA while recording the lowest walk rate of his career at 6.1%.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller has taken a methodical approach during this offseason, particularly after his team faced elimination against the eventual World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the National League Division Series.

Preller made his first major league roster addition by re-signing catcher Elias Diaz at the end of January. In recent days, the organization also reached $1 million agreements with Connor Joe and Jason Heyward, who will form a left-field platoon.

The acquisition of Pivetta marks the Padres’ first significant move as spring training approaches. This transaction is especially critical given the absence of ace pitcher Joe Musgrove, who will be sidelined for the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.