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Blue Jays should gamble on Nick Pivetta's health after Padres decline club option

Toronto could target the Canadian to shore up its rotation.
ByBen Wrixon
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Sep 30, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) reacts in the third inning against the Chicago Cubs during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Sep 30, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) reacts in the third inning against the Chicago Cubs during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres made starting pitcher Nick Pivetta a free agent after declining his $14 million club option for 2027, leaving him in search of a new home this winter. 

While he doesn’t have the same upside as his former teammate Michael King, Pivetta is a rock-solid pitcher when healthy. He’s exactly the kind of guy the Blue Jays could use in their rotation next year.

The case for signing Pivetta is contingent on health, however, and that is a huge “if” after what transpired this past season. 

Injuries limited Pivetta to just eight starts in 2026. He was effective when he took the mound, working to a 2.86 ERA and 1.010 WHIP while punching out 42 batters across his 34.2 innings. 

His performance in this small sample size was a continuation of what Pivetta did in 2025 when he utterly dominated en route to a sixth-place finish in the NL Cy Young Award voting. His 2.87 ERA, 0.985 WHIP, and 3.49 FIP were all career bests. 

That version of Pivetta would be worth significantly more than a $14 million salary. Clearly the Padres don’t believe he can get back to that level in 2027, or, perhaps more likely, stay healthy enough to be worth paying that amount of money. Picking up his club option for next season would have triggered a $18 million player option for 2028. 

While signing a player who missed almost five months with an elbow injury would certainly be a risk for the Blue Jays, the Canadian could wind up being one of the offseason’s biggest bargains if that issue is squarely in the rearview mirror. 

Blue Jays' rotation needs a dependable arm behind Dylan Cease

Toronto’s 2027 rotation is full of question marks behind Dylan Cease. Trey Yesavage battled inconsistent mechanics and health problems of his own this past season, while José Soriano wasn’t sharp after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels. After them on the depth chart is Cody Ponce coming off a torn ACL and then several minor leaguers.

It’s also worth noting that Pivetta had been quite durable up until this past season. He threw at least 145 innings every year from 2021 to 2025, during which he was primarily a starter but also worked in relief at times. This elbow injury was an outlier on what has generally been a clean health resume.

The Blue Jays need pitchers they can count on in 2027. If the imaging on Pivetta’s elbow is clean now, there’s no reason to think he won’t go back to being exactly that. Even durable players get hurt once in a while. If the market is treating him like an injury-prone arm because the Padres declined his option, the Blue Jays could pounce. 

Besides, who wouldn’t want to see a Canadian come home to Toronto? 

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