SAN DIEGO -- The Padres declined the $7.5 million option on left-handed pitcher Cory Luebke on Wednesday, opting for a $1.75 million buyout.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that Luebke, who had Tommy John surgery in 2012 and again in '13, is done with the Padres.
Both Luebke and general manager A.J. Preller indicated Wednesday that the door might still be open for the 30-year-old to return, possibly on a Minor League deal.
"I think we're going to talk to him about it and get his sense for it," Preller said on Wednesday about a potential return.