Padres Acquire Veteran Pitcher in Early Offseason Move

The San Diego Padres have officially signed right-hander Ryan Weiss to a one-year major league contract, as listed on the MLB transaction log.

The deal includes a club option for the 2028 season, making Weiss the first free agent among the 183 players on the market to have a signing announced this offseason.

Terms call for a guaranteed $1.85 million in 2027, with performance bonuses available.

The 2028 club option is valued at a guaranteed $4 million and can reach as high as $5.5 million based on incentives, according to reports.

Weiss, represented by Sports One Athlete Management, became a free agent after the Houston Astros declined his $5 million club option (with a $500,000 buyout) for 2027 following the World Series.

The 29-year-old (born December 10, 1996, in South Elgin, Illinois) was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth round of 2018 out of Wright State.

After topping out at Triple-A in the Arizona and Kansas City systems, he reinvented himself overseas.

He spent time with the Fubon Guardians in Taiwan’s CPBL before thriving with the Hanwha Eagles in South Korea’s KBO League in 2024-25. Across 46 starts and 270⅓ innings in the KBO, Weiss posted a 3.16 ERA with 305 strikeouts.

His 2025 campaign stood out: 16-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 30 starts (178⅔ innings), ranking among the league leaders in several categories.

That success earned Weiss a $2.6 million deal with the Astros for 2026, where he made his MLB debut on March 27.

He went 0-3 with a 7.62 ERA and 2.12 WHIP over 26 innings in nine appearances (two starts), striking out 30 while walking 20. Houston optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land in early May and later designated him for assignment; he cleared waivers and finished the year in the minors.

There, he closed strongly, posting a 1.37 ERA with 24 strikeouts in his final 19⅔ innings across four September outings.

For the Padres, who are rebuilding essentially their entire rotation after several departures and option decisions, Weiss represents low-risk depth.

He retains a minor league option and can shuttle between San Diego and Triple-A El Paso if needed.

He will enter spring training with a chance to compete for a rotation or multi-inning relief role, leveraging a mid-90s fastball, sweeper, changeup, and other offerings that generated solid swing-and-miss rates.

With renewed interest from KBO clubs and several MLB teams, the major league deal kept Weiss in affiliated baseball while giving San Diego an early, flexible addition as bigger rotation moves loom.