The Padres have declined their 2027 club option on right-hander Nick Pivetta, which makes him a free agent. MLB.com's Manny Randhawa reported the move, citing a source. MLB Trade Rumors' Charlie Wright first reported the decision, and the Reddit post of his item puts the option at $14 million. The other outlets' summaries don't give a figure.

MLB Trade Rumors added a detail the other outlets' summaries don't have. In a follow-up, Acee noted there are questions about the health of Pivetta's elbow. He also said that declining the option was expected, and that the team and the player could still work out a new deal. The summaries we have don't say what the elbow problem is, when it began, or whether it is why the Padres passed. The same follow-up leaves open the chance of a return to San Diego on different terms.

The workload supports the health questions without proving them. Pivetta pitched in only eight games in 2026, all starts, for 34.2 innings. In 2025 he made 31 starts and threw 181.2 innings, and he has worked at least 142.2 innings in each full season since 2021. Our data doesn't say why this year's total was so small.

When he did pitch, the results were good. He went 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA, 42 strikeouts and eight walks. He allowed 27 hits, a .206 opponent average, and a 1.01 WHIP. That ERA is almost the same as his 2.87 in 2025, when he won 13 games and struck out 190. That is the tension in the decision. The performance would have justified a $14 million option, but the sample is small, and the reported elbow concerns make it hard to project a full season.

The decision comes after a season that ended short of the Padres' aims. They finished 91-71, second in the NL West. Their last games were a 4-3 loss at Milwaukee on Oct. 4, a 4-3 win over the Brewers on Oct. 6 and a 3-1 loss to them on Oct. 7. The reporting doesn't tie the option to that finish or to any roster plan, so we won't guess at a reason.

What comes next is on the market. Pivetta is now free to negotiate with any club, and per MLB Trade Rumors that includes San Diego. Whether the Padres make an offer, and what medical information other teams get, will shape where he lands.