February 17: The Padres made it official today, announcing that they have signed Canning to a one-year deal with the same option for 2027. The combined options are almost never picked up by either side, so that offer could just be allowing the Padres to kick in a portion of the salary in the future in the form of a buyout. Full financial details of Canning’s deal have not been reported. The one who plays outside Tirso Ornelas selected for assignment as a corresponding move.
February 14: The Padres signed a right-hander Griffin Canningas originally reported overnight by Divine Sports Gospel. Canning’s deal will become official once he passes his physical, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. San Diego has a full 40-man roster after the game Nick Castellanos signing, so the Padres will have to make another move to make room on the 40-man roster for Canning, who is represented by Wasserman.
It’s something of a SoCal homecoming for Canning, who was born in Mission Viejo and played his college ball at UCLA. The 29-year-old also enjoyed his first Major League season with the Angels, posting a 4.78 ERA over 508 innings (94 of 99 starts). This was less than what was expected from the pitcher who was once considered a top 100 player, and the Angels parted ways with Canning in a trade with the Braves last season. Jorge Soler. Atlanta then selected Canning non-tender, as the Braves’ main goal of the trade was to free up Soler’s contract.
Canning then signed a one-year, $4.25MM contract with the Mets that initially looked like it would be a steal, as the righty posted a 2.47 ERA in his first nine seasons in New York. More struggles over his next seven outings raised his ERA to 3.77, but unfortunately that’s where Canning’s story ended, as he tore his Achilles tendon in late June.
Reports early this offseason suggested Canning was hoping to be ready for Opening Day, or at least early April. He was feeling good enough to throw to scouts in a demonstration last week, and his velocity was up to 93 mph even at this early stage of the offseason. The Mets, Cardinals, and White Sox were all linked to Canning earlier this winter, but now he will be part of San Diego’s rotation mix.
The Padres’ starting pitching situation has been an important problem for the team all winter, as Dylan Cease he left the Blue Jays in free agency again Yu Darvish he will miss all of 2026 while he recovers from an internal brace procedure. Resigning Michael King helped the Padres regain stability, and Canning joins a lineup that includes King, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, JP Searsagain Joe Musgrove on his return from Tommy John surgery. Assuming everyone else is healthy, Canning will likely push Vasquez or Sears into a relief or deep role when Canning is ready to throw.
While 76 1/3 innings isn’t the largest sample size, Canning’s 2025 season saw him post a 50.9% strikeout rate, a significant turnaround for a pitcher who had a 39.5% strikeout rate during his time in Anaheim. Keeping the ball out of the air somewhat helped negate all the hard contact Canning was allowing, as his 45.7% strikeout rate was in the 11th percentile of all pitchers. Canning’s 10.7% walk rate was the highest of his career, and his 21.3% strikeout rate was nothing.
Pivetta’s breakout in 2025 is proof that the Padres can help pitchers unlock their potential, but for now, Canning projects as a back-to-back starter with upside. How Canning responds to his Achilles injury is another x factor, and his health history includes a stress fracture in his back that cost him the entire 2022 season.
The terms of Canning’s deal are currently unknown, though it’s reasonable to assume he’ll earn something close to the $4.5MM he received from New York in 2025. The price tag was certainly attractive to the Padres, who were operating within a seemingly limited budget this offseason. Excluding Canning’s contract, San Diego has a projected (by RosterResource) cap hit of $220.9MM and a luxury tax number of $265.48MM – both up slightly from 2025, when the Padres have a $211.1MM payroll in 2025 and a $263MM tax number. Canning’s contract extension now puts San Diego over the second tier ($264MM) of the tax penalty.
