Padres' Nick Pivetta has important August deadline with $55M at stake originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The San Diego Padres are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball this season, and that's even with the team down one of their top pitchers, Nick Pivetta.

He is on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain, which is putting a lot of his season in jeopardy. And for Pivetta, there's a lot more at stake than a role in the rotation.

As USA Today's Bob Nightengale points out, if Pivetta doesn't return to the rotation by August 22nd, he will run the risk of losing a lot of money in guarantees on his $55 million deal.

Nick Pivetta has part of his $55 million contract at risk with August deadline

"San Diego Padres starter Nick Pivetta, on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain, needs to return by Aug. 22 this season to prevent the Padres from voiding the remaining two years of his contract," Nightengale reports.

Nightengale notes that there's a clause in Pivetta's deal that, if he's on the injured list for 130 days, the Padres will be able to end the contract after just two years.

The 130-day period falls on August 22nd, meaning Pivetta will need to return to the rotation before that date to make sure the Padres don't get out of a lot of money on his $55 million deal.

As Nightengale notes, "He is scheduled to earn $32 million the final two years of his backloaded contract."

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While Pivetta would be at risk of losing the $32 million over the final two years of his deal by missing that amount of time, the Padres could pick up a $14 million option even if he's on the IL for 130+ days.

But, as long as he returns before August 22nd, he will be able to either become a free agent after 2026 or exercise a $14 million option in 2027 and an $18 million option in 2028.

It's a very fascinating contract situation for Pivetta and the Padres, as the August 22nd deadline is a very big deal for the veteran right-hander.

The bulk of Pivetta's $55 million contract with the Padres is at stake, with the $32 million in options in 2027 and 2028 up in the air with his placement on the IL. If he's still there 130 days later, which would be August 22nd, he will be out a lot of money.

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