The San Diego Padres announced roster moves on Sunday. Some of the moves were expected, but there were a couple of surprises. The team announced it picked up the $2.5 million option on left-hander Kyle Hart and that left-handers Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta opted into their 2027 deals.
The Padres officially announced they declined the option on right-hander Nick Pivetta while designated hitter Miguel Andujar declined his mutual option and the team declined mutual options on Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito. It has to be said that San Diego could try to re-sign any one of these players on a new mutually agreed to deal, but considering the myriad of health issues and ineffectiveness that hampered these players at different points of the season, it is unlikely.
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The decision to pick up Hart’s option is can be looked at both ways. He is a left-hander with starting experience. Hart had moments last season where he was very good, but he also had moments where he was very bad. He served as a long reliever on a couple of occasions, but the thought may be that getting bullpen arms that are familiar with the system at what may prove to be a low dollar amount is the way to go, especially if the Padres want to re-sign Adrian Morejon.
The Matsui decision may help in the recruitment pitch for Morejon as well. With the Japanese left-handed back in the bullpen, it’s another reason for Morejon to want to remain with the only MLB team he has ever known. He will no doubt be one of if not the most sought after bullpen arm on the market and teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers were throw an unknown amount of money at him to add him to their roster. The hope for the Friar Faithful is that Morejon really does want to be in San Diego and that general manager A.J. Preller can convince new owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones to make him an offer. Will it be enough? That remains to be seen, but letting him go without a fight would be a misstep in their effort to show the fans they will invest in bringing a championship to San Diego.
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Dustin Harris proved to be a solid addition to the San Diego roster last season and should have an impact in 2027. Read how Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball graded Harris’ efforts in 2026.
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