Wacha deal with Padres could be worth $26M for 4 years

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Right-hander Michael Wacha and the San Diego Padres finalized a contract Thursday that guarantees $26 million over four seasons and could be worth $39 million over three years.

Wacha gets a $3.5 million signing bonus and a $4 million salary this year. San Diego must decide after this year’s World Series whether to exercise $16 million options for both 2024 and 2025.

If the Padres decline their options, Wacha would decide whether to exercise player options at $6.5 million for 2024 and $6 million for each of the following two years.

Wacha could earn $2 million in performance bonuses this year for starts and under any season of the player options: $500,000 each for 20 and 25 and $1 million for 30.

The 31-year-old was 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 23 starts for the Boston Red Sox last year. The Padres will be his fifth team. He spent his first seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and was selected MVP of the 2013 NL Championship Series as a rookie. He also pitched for the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays.

The Padres had been looking to add a starter and appear to be leaning toward starting the season with a six-man rotation. Wacha will join a rotation that includes Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell, Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo.

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