On Tuesday night, more information emerged regarding Michael Wacha‘s contract agreement with the San Diego Padres, and some of the details are a bit surprising.
Most notably, the deal has the potential to last four years, which is certainly a bit of a curveball.
While the 31-year-old may very well have multiple good seasons left in the tank, he’s been quite inconsistent in recent years, so it’s impossible to know where he’ll be four seasons from now.
It’s worth noting that the agreement between Wacha and the Padres includes player and team options.
Wacha agreement with Padres has complex structure that could earn him more than $24M over four years, sources tell @TheAthletic. Deal includes player and team options that protect both Wacha’s upside and downside while lowering his AAV for luxury-tax purposes. Pending physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 15, 2023
It’s clear that the Padres think Wacha could potentially be a key arm for them for years to come.
The veteran had a very impressive 2022 season with the Boston Red Sox.
Across 23 starts, he posted a 3.32 ERA, 4.14 FIP, and 1.12 WHIP.
But in his previous three seasons, he didn’t enjoy the same success, as he registered a 5.11 ERA, 5.07 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP across 66 appearances (54 starts) from 2019 to 2021.
He did have a solid stint with the St. Louis Cardinals to begin his MLB career, and thanks in large part to that, his lifetime numbers are certainly serviceable with a 4.05 ERA, 4.07 FIP, and 1.31 WHIP.
But it’s anyone’s guess which version of Wacha the Padres will get, and that’s likely going to be the determining factor in how long he ends up staying with his new team.
Regardless, his deal with San Diego is a nice one for him, and he earned it after his strong 2022 campaign.
The journeyman is still looking to win his first World Series ring, and he’ll have a good chance to get one with the Padres.
