Wacha declined his $6.5 million player option for 2024 on Monday and will become a free agent.
After the Padres informed Wacha that they wouldn't exercise a two-year, $32 million option that would keep him on the books through 2025, the veteran right-hander declined to decline an option of his own, albeit at a less favorable annual salary. Wacha presumably feels he can find a better deal on the open market, a fair conclusion after he turned in a 3.22 ERA (4.30 xERA), 1.16 WHIP and 14.6 K-BB% in 134.1 innings for the Friars in 2023. Durability has been a concern for Wacha for much of his career -- he hasn't made 30 starts in a season since 2017 -- so he may not be able to find a team that's willing to sign him to more than a two- or three-year deal as he heads into his age-32 campaign.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Option declined by Padres
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The Padres declined Wacha's two-year, $32 million option for 2024-25 on Saturday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Wacha has a $6.5 million player option for 2024 that he's expected to decline, at which point the pitcher will become a free agent. The right-hander has posted a nifty 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 228:74 K:BB over 261.2 innings covering the last two seasons. He hasn't made more than 24 starts in a season since 2017, though, and the Padres decided he wasn't worth the risk as they look to trim payroll.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Seven scoreless in 14th win
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Wacha (14-4) earned the win Saturday, allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the White Sox. He struck out seven.
The 32-year-old scattered three singles and needed just 87 pitches to complete seven scoreless innings en route to his 14th victory of the campaign. Outside of a recent seven-run start against the Dodgers, Wacha compiled a 6-1 record with a 2.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 48:15 K:BB across 44.2 innings after returning from a shoulder injury Aug. 15. Building upon a resurgent 2022 season for the Red Sox, the right-hander's first year in San Diego concludes with a 3.22 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 124:43 K:BB across 134.1 innings with his highest win total since Wacha went 17-7 in 2015.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Cruises to victory
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Wacha (13-4) yielded two runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings Sunday, striking out six and picking up a win over St. Louis.
Wacha rolled through six shutout frames before the Cardinals finally broke through with two runs in the seventh inning. The Padres had already provided 12 runs of support before then. Wacha earned his second straight win and lowered his season ERA to 3.39 across 127.1 frames. However, he owns a 5.54 ERA in five September outings. Wacha is projected to close out his 2023 season with a road start against the White Sox.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Nabs 12th win
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Wacha (12-4) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and struck out six without walking a batter over five innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Monday.
Wacha departed with a comfortable 11-3 lead in the contest, though the Padres' bullpen allowed six runs to score. Wacha has given up at least three runs in four of his last five outings, and he's completed six innings in just one of them. It's a noticeable drop in quality from what he was doing in May and June prior to a shoulder injury. Wacha is at a 3.44 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 111:41 K:BB through 120.1 innings through 22 starts this season. The veteran righty is lined up for a home start against one of his former teams, the Cardinals, over the weekend.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Struggles against Dodgers
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Wacha (11-4) allowed seven runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over four innings, taking the loss Tuesday versus the Dodgers.
Wacha matched his season low in innings while also equaling his season high in runs allowed. He also gave up multiple home runs for just the third time in 21 starts. The poor outing accounted for his second loss in a row, and he's allowed 10 runs over eight innings in that shaky span. For the year, he's at a 3.43 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 105:41 K:BB over 115.1 innings. Considering he's gone five years without tossing more than 130 innings, he may be wearing down as the campaign winds to a close. Wacha is projected for a home start versus the Rockies next week.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Falls to Phillies
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Wacha (11-3) took the loss Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings against Philadelphia. He struck out six.
Wacha struggled from the start Wednesday, surrendering a lead-off homer to Kyle Schwarber in the first inning. The 32-year-old Wacha had been pitching well since returning from the IL on Aug. 15, working to a 2.91 ERA over his prior four starts. He now sports a 2.99 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and 102:38 K:BB across 20 starts (111.1 innings) this season. He'll look to right the ship in his next outing, currently scheduled for early next week against the Dodgers.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Earns 11th win
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Wacha (11-2) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win over the Giants on Friday.
Wacha was able to secure his first quality start in four outings since returning from a shoulder injury. He gave up an early solo home to Wilmer Flores and a sacrifice fly to Brandon Crawford in the fourth inning. Prior to his last start, Wacha hadn't given up more than four runs in 12 straight outings, and it's encouraging he's getting back to that level of performance after a minor hiccup. He's at a 2.85 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 96:35 K:BB through 107.1 innings over 19 starts this season. Wacha is projected for a home start versus the Phillies next week.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Walks five in no-decision
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Wacha allowed four runs on four hits and five walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Brewers on Sunday.
Wacha was responsible for the first two runs of the Brewers' seven-run rally in the sixth inning, but Steven Wilson ended up on the hook for the loss. Wacha matched his season high with five walks, and this was the first time since April 20 that he's allowed more than three runs. The veteran right-hander is now at a 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 90:33 K:BB through 101.1 innings across 18 starts this season. Given how well he's pitched for the majority of the season, there's little reason to be concerned heading into his next projected start at home versus the Giants.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Notches 10th win
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Wacha improved to 10-2 with a win over Miami on Monday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 5.1 innings.
In his second start since coming off the injured list Aug. 15, Wacha shut down the Marlins for five innings until Josh Bell tagged him for s solo homer in the sixth. That long ball was the only extra-base hit Wacha gave up in the outing, and he emerged with his 10th victory of the campaign. The right-hander has shown no signs of rust since rejoining the rotation, yielding just the one run over 10.1 frames while posting a 12:3 K:BB and picking up a pair of wins.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Impressive in return
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Wacha (9-2) allowed three hits and a walk while striking out five over five scoreless innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Orioles.
Wacha returned from a six-week absence due to shoulder inflammation. He drew a tough assignment and pitched well in his first game back, throwing 48 of 77 pitches for strikes. He's been one of the Padres' best starters when healthy, posting a 2.68 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 78:26 K:BB over 90.2 innings across 16 starts. Wacha is tentatively lined up for a home start versus the Diamondbacks over the weekend.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Activated for return Tuesday
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Wacha (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his return to the Padres' rotation Tuesday against the Orioles.
Wacha is officially back in the mix for San Diego following a six-week absence to heal a bout of shoulder inflammation. The 32-year-old right-hander had registered a strong 2.84 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 73:25 K:BB in 85.2 innings (15 starts) prior to the injury. He got up to 67 pitches in his final rehab outing last week at the Padres' complex in Arizona.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Expected to return Tuesday
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Padres manager Bob Melvin said Friday that Wacha (shoulder) is expected to return from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday against Baltimore, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.
Wacha made his second minor-league rehab outing Thursday, throwing 67 pitches over five innings at the Padres' complex in Arizona. He appears to have come away from that appearance without any issues, as San Diego has penciled him in to return to the rotation Tuesday against the Orioles. Wacha could be on a mild pitch count for that contest given that he hasn't tossed in a big-league game since July 1.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Tosses two frames in rehab start
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Wacha (shoulder) made a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A El Paso on Saturday, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out two batters over two scoreless innings.
Wacha made his first game appearance since tossing five innings for the Padres against Cincinnati on July 1. The right-hander was a bit wild in the rehab start, throwing just half of his 46 pitches for a strike, but he didn't allow any runs and appeared to come out of the outing physically fine. Per MLB.com, Wacha could return to the Padres as soon as next weekend against Arizona, though another rehab appearance is also a possibility.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Scheduled for rehab start
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Wacha (shoulder) will make a rehab start for Triple-A El Paso on Saturday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The expectation is that Wacha will throw between 50-60 pitches in his first live action since July 1. Wacha has been ramping up slowly after a brief shutdown period following his placement on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. He figures to require at least one more rehab outing beyond Saturday before slotting back into the Padres' rotation.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Tosses two simulated innings
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Wacha (shoulder) faced live hitters Monday, tossing two simulated innings to minor-leaguers in San Diego, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
This was the first time Wacha has faced live hitters since he went on the injured list with right shoulder fatigue July 4. Padres manager Bob Melvin said the right-handed hurler "felt good" after the session and indicated that Wacha's next steps will be discussed after seeing how he feels Tuesday. Acee reports that San Diego hopes to slot Wacha back into the rotation during a stretch of 13 straight games without an off day that begins Aug. 11.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Slated for sim game Monday
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Wacha (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Monday, MLB.com reports.
Wacha tossed a bullpen session last Tuesday and followed that with another Friday, throwing his full arsenal of pitches in the latter session. He'll progress to facing live hitters Monday, but his next step isn't certain. Wacha has made just one appearance for the Padres since June 19, allowing a run over five innings in a win over the Reds on July 1.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Tosses bullpen Tuesday
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Wacha (shoulder) threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday, per MLB.com.
The bullpen was Wacha's first since he landed on the injured list July 4. The veteran hurler threw only fastballs and changeups in the session, and he's expected to mix in the rest of his pitches in another bullpen Friday. If that goes well, Wacha could return to the Padres' rotation in early August.
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Likely out until August
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Wacha (shoulder) has resumed playing catch, but Padres manager Bob Melvin said the hurler is unlikely to return from the 15-day injured list before the end of July, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.
Wacha is expected to throw on flat ground a few more times before getting on a mound, and he may need a rehab assignment after that since he hasn't pitched in a game since July 1. The right-hander had his turn skipped in the rotation prior to that July 1 start due to the same shoulder issue that resulted in his placement on the IL, so he's thrown from a mound just once over the past month. Melvin mentioned the Padres' intention to extend the pitcher's return timeframe in order to ensure that they "get a healthy Michael Wacha."
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Padres' Michael Wacha: Not yet throwing
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Wacha (shoulder) said Sunday that he hasn't resumed playing catch since landing on the 15-day injured list July 4, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
Despite having failed to initiate a throwing program since being shut down with right shoulder inflammation, Wacha said he still hopes to make a start during the Padres' road series in Toronto or Detroit, but manager Bob Melvin seemed to dismiss that as a possibility. According to 97.3 The Fan San Diego, Melvin intimated that the earliest Wacha would return from the IL would be "at home," presumably referring to the Padres' homestand that begins July 24. Even if Wacha is cleared to play catch in the coming days, he'll likely then need to complete at least one multi-inning simulated game or minor-league rehab start before the Padres are comfortable activating him.
