In the end, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow made the right call. He took a chance by offering Nick Pivetta, an inconsistent starting pitcher, a one-year, $21 million qualifying offer, hoping that the market would be strong enough for the veteran right-hander to decline it.
It was a gamble—Pivetta had the option to accept the offer, securing a substantial salary for 2025 and then testing the free-agent market again the following year.
When the Red Sox made the offer, MassLive beat writer Chris Cotillo described it as a surprising move on “The Fenway Rundown” podcast, saying, “The big news is a development I would describe as shocking. … Nick Pivetta gets the qualifying offer from the Red Sox. That was interesting because, as the kids say, it wasn’t on the bingo card.”
However, Breslow was aware that there was probably a multi-year market for a pitcher with Pivetta’s talent. He also knew that if Pivetta declined the Red Sox’s qualifying offer, the team would receive a late second-round draft pick as compensation in the following year’s draft.
Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta Makes it Official
On Tuesday, the MLB deadline for qualifying offer decisions, Pivetta informed the Red Sox that, after five seasons and a 37-41 record with a 4.29 ERA, he would be opting for free agency. This likely signals that the Red Sox are moving on from the 31-year-old right-hander as they seek better options in the market.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, in addition to pursuing Juan Soto, the Red Sox are also aiming to add a top-tier starter to their roster. Passan mentioned Max Fried of Atlanta and Blake Snell of the Giants as potential targets for Boston.
Either addition would provide a significant upgrade to the top of their rotation.
By the end of the 2024 season, it became clear that Boston had three solid rotation pieces in place: Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and possibly Tanner Houck, the standout of the group. They also have Lucas Giolito, last year’s top pitching acquisition, who is recovering from an elbow injury suffered in spring training.
However, the Red Sox still need elite talent and depth in their rotation. This is why they are considered among the frontrunners for a trade involving White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet and potentially signing Snell or Fried. Adding those two to a rotation already featuring Bello, Crawford, and Houck (who might be traded to Chicago in a Crochet deal) would give the Red Sox a significant advantage in the arms race.
While it’s unlikely they land both pitchers, Pivetta’s departure at least clears up space for the Red Sox to target these high-profile names.
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