Quote from fenn68 on February 12, 2025, 8:12 am

Padres have 6 weeks until the season starts (and can always make moves during the season). Preller has a history of late moves to improve the club ... so we may have to wait a bit for the final pieces to fall into place.

If we accept that Preller needs to be under the CBT and at the same time improve the "team" (not just focus on a specific position) ... may be forced to move Suarez (and maybe Peralta) out of the pens ... best option to have internal coverage ... as RP should be marketable ... have salaries that if removed can open options for Preller.

First getting under the CBT:

1. Per Roster Resource the Padres are currently OVER by $4.6MM.
2. Suarez carries a CBT amount of $9.2MM ... so if moved Padres would get UNDER the CBT by $4.6MM. Now some of that needs to be held in reserve for mid-season call-up (even at league minimum) to cover injuries and maybe a mid-season add.
3. Peralta carries a CBT amount of $4.1MM ... so additionally move Peralta and the Padres go under the CBT by $8.7MM. That could be enough to keep a reserve and sign a serviceable FA (hopefully a SP) in the $5MM range.
4. Also, in the trades assuming not getting a serviceable SP (but maybe).

However, once under the CBT, Preller will still be trying to make the "team" better ... so don't rule out adding a bat for 1B/DH if his options for a SP are just not there (or just not good). Adding a good bat may make the team better than adding a bad SP ...

As ST moves along ... should see some hitters and some pitchers really drop their demands and signing deals more like Heyward and Joe than the earlier projections often in the $8-10MM range. Actually if they have $5MM to deploy could maybe add two bottom of the rotation arms (Vasquez and Waldron have minor league options).

Since we are not talking of major talent .. just marginal ... who they sign cheaply may not be the key ... just a sense they improve the overall team for the course of the season.

Expect more to come.

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 12, 2025, 6:58 pm

Padres sign Nick Pivetta to 4 year $55 mil deal.

Does this mean we aren’t broke or does this mean Cease is now traded?

 

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 12, 2025, 7:02 pm

Looks like an extremely back loaded deal with multiple opt outs.

Only $1 mil for ‘25 and a $3 mil signing bonus….then $19 mil for ‘26,$14 mil for ‘27 and $18 mil for ‘28 if he doesn’t opt out before.

Wow.

 

Quote from Alex Tamayo on February 12, 2025, 7:04 pm

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 12, 2025, 6:58 pm

Padres sign Nick Pivetta to 4 year $55 mil deal.

Does this mean we aren’t broke or does this mean Cease is now traded?

 

Funny thing is that If I am not mistaken, both pitchers impact the CBT about the same, 13.75.

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 12, 2025, 7:30 pm

So the more I think about this, I think Pivetta takes Ceases’ place and Cease is traded for a young arm and young bat to have for the next four or five years.

Either that or we aren’t concerned about the first level of the CBT after all.

 

Quote from fenn68 on February 12, 2025, 8:50 pm

This one caught me totally off guard.

Opens up a lot of different potential options for the Padres and no idea which way they will pivot.

If money is not the 2025 issue ... going with the new roster is strong with Pivetta a solid #3 type (ERA around "average" and a pretty good innings eater).

Do agree we should consider a Preller blockbuster of Cease (and Suarez) to clear the CBT issue and maybe yield one or two SP upgrading the SP depth (cheap with long control and 2025 potential upside) and that illusive bat for the 1B/DH role. Good call on the CBT impact being the same ($13.750MM) for both Cease and Pivetta ... can't be a coincidence.

Preller on the phone to NYM? BALT? BOST? CUBS?

Quote from Jeremy Hill on February 12, 2025, 10:17 pm

Passan suggested that the Padres could sign Pivetta in an article yesterday. He also said it could free them up to trade Cease. That sounded more like speculation, but maybe he had inside information. Lin is saying that they're planning to keep Cease. There does seem to be a lot of buzz building around a Suarez trade.

Quote from BoosterSD on February 13, 2025, 6:02 am

I also saw a blurb on MLBTR after the Pivetta article, that Kolek is going to be stretched out as a SP as well.

So is Kolek and Pivetta better than Cease? Do we trade Cease and Suarez? Do we trade Suarez and Peralta?

I think my preference would be to keep Cease and Pivetta and trade Suarez and Peralta, and run with a strong SP rotation of Cease, King, Darvish, Pivetta, and then an assortment of Kolek, Waldron, and Vasquez.

IMO, I think Vasquez has a good year for us in the rotation.

Quote from fenn68 on February 13, 2025, 6:12 am

I think the stretching out of Kolek is more of an emergency insurance move and expect him in the minors.

He has some nasty stuff but was a bad SP in his minor league career and only became "interesting" after Seattle converted to a RP ... where he really excelled. He is already 27.