San Diego, California – Padres fans know the drill by now: when the payroll tightens, A.J. Preller gets busy. And as the team heads into another offseason with limited financial room and multiple roster holes, the Padres are once again listening on just about everything — including some names that hit close to home.
According to reports from The Athletic and USA Today, the Padres are taking calls on right-hander Nick Pivetta and actively shopping second baseman Jake Cronenworth. The two situations aren’t identical, but together they tell a clear story about where San Diego stands: still trying to contend, still trying to stay afloat financially, and still needing to get creative after the budget was reshaped in the wake of Peter Seidler’s passing.
Pivetta, 32, is coming off the best season of his career — a sixth-place Cy Young finish and a sparkling 2.87 ERA across 181 2/3 innings. It was exactly the payoff the Padres hoped for when they signed him to a four-year deal built on upside and durability. But that contract also contains an elephant-sized complication: an opt-out after this season that almost certainly will be exercised if Pivetta stays healthy.
That essentially makes him a one-year rental, even though he’s technically signed for three more seasons. And for teams looking at potential downside risk — injury or performance collapse that might keep him from opting out — the calculus changes fast. Pivetta could net a solid prospect or a low-cost big leaguer, but the return likely won’t match what fans expect for the team’s best starter not named Dylan Cease.
More importantly, trading Pivetta creates its own problem. San Diego needs starting pitching. Flipping him for financial space or future help only widens a hole that already exists. Unless a club with deep pockets wants to restructure his deal — a rare move in MLB — the Padres will find it hard to upgrade by subtracting from their thinnest area.
Cronenworth, meanwhile, presents a different kind of challenge. He put up a solid 2025 season with elite on-base ability, but his power dipped and his expected numbers suggested some regression. His versatility remains a plus, yet his contract — five years and $60 million still owed — is underwater. On the open market, Cronenworth would likely earn something like his $12 million AAV, but never over such a long term.
That leaves Preller with two choices: eat a chunk of the deal or take back another unwanted contract. Neither is ideal, but both may be necessary if the Padres want flexibility to add bats, fill two rotation spots, and possibly reinforce the catching group.
For Padres fans, it’s familiar territory. A winter full of rumors, financial threads, and sideways roster moves is practically a franchise tradition at this point. But this version feels especially precarious. San Diego wants to win now. The NL West isn’t getting any easier. And the Padres’ ability to keep up may hinge on how deftly Preller can navigate a market where he must solve multiple problems at once.
One thing is certain: the Padres aren’t done. Not even close. And if the last decade has taught us anything, it’s that when A.J. Preller goes into scramble mode, something big — or at least unexpected — is always around the corner.
