The Padres announced that Miguel Andujar and right-handers Lucas Giolito and Griffin Canning are all now free agents. San Diego declined its end of mutual options with Giolito and Canning, while Andujar declined his end of a mutual option. Andujar will receive a $2.9MM buyout from his declined $8MM mutual option, Giolito’s $8MM mutual option came with a $1.5MM buyout, and Canning’s $5MM mutual option has a $1.8MM buyout.
Mutual options are rarely exercised by both sides, so there was no surprise in any of these decisions. Had Andujar picked up his end of the $8MM option, it is likely the Padres would’ve declined theirs, so Andujar might have just been expediting the process.
Andujar signed a one-year deal with the Padres last winter worth $4MM in guaranteed money ($1.5MM in salary and $2.5MM via the buyout). Over 254 plate appearances, Andujar hit .259/.303/.423 with five homers, but he spent over two months on the injured list after a wayward Lucas Erceg pitch fractured his right wrist. The injury ended Andujar’s regular season but he was able to return for the playoffs, going 0-for-3 with a walk in four pinch-hit appearances during San Diego’s postseason run.
The Padres used Andujar mostly as a DH in 2026, with only a few appearances at the corner infield slots. Andujar has a good deal of experience in left field and a handful of games as a right fielder over his 10 MLB seasons, though his reputation as a lefty-masher took a hit when he delivered pedestrian numbers against southpaws this year. As he enters his age-32 season, Andujar is likely again looking at a one-year deal with a low guarantee, with teams in need of somewhat versatile platoon help seeking out his services.
A reunion with the Padres isn’t out of the question, as the Friars don’t have a set answer in left field and could use some infield or DH depth. Likewise, re-signing Canning or Giolito is a possibility since the Padres have plenty of holes to fill in both the rotation and bullpen, though both project as pure depth signings.
Canning signed a one-year deal worth $2.5MM guaranteed, and what was initially a $1.5MM buyout got bumped up to $1.8MM due to some contract incentives. Canning ruptured his Achilles tendon in June 2025 and didn’t make his 2026 debut until May 3, and he went on to post a 5.68 ERA, 22.3% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate, and 46.9% grounder rate over 88 2/3 innings (starting 11 of 30 games).
A .328 BABIP and a 15.2% homer rate inflated ERA to some extent, as Canning’s SIERA was a more respectable 4.20. He also pitched quite a bit better as a reliever than as a starter, so Canning could market himself to teams as more of a swingman rather than a traditional starting pitcher.
Giolito didn’t have much luck on the free agent market last year, as he didn’t land his one-year, $3MM guarantee ($1.5MM each in salary and buyout) until past the halfway point of April. The Padres promoted him to the active roster in mid-May after some ramp-up time in the minors, but Giolito then delivered only a 5.16 ERA over 29 2/3 innings before a bout of right elbow inflammation sent him to the injured list for the rest of the season.
This extended injury absence is a red flag for a pitcher with two major arm surgeries (a Tommy John surgery in 2012 and a brace procedure in 2024) on his resume, plus a few other IL stints for arm-related issues. While his long wait in free agency last year might’ve had more to do with Giolito’s asking price rather than a pure lack of interest, he may well have to settle for a minor league deal this winter, or at most another one-year pact with a low guarantee.
