BOSTON — While it was a bit of a surprise when the Red Sox extended a qualifying offer to veteran free agent Nick Pivetta a couple of weeks ago, the strategy appears to have paid off for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
Pivetta declined the offer on Tuesday, meaning the Red Sox will get Draft pick compensation if another team signs him.
If Pivetta had accepted the qualifying offer, he would have returned to Boston on a one-year, $21.05 million deal.
Of the 13 MLB players who were tendered a qualifying offer, only Reds righty Nick Martinez accepted his.
By rule, the Red Sox are still eligible to bring Pivetta back under a reconstructed contract. To do that, some other parts would likely have to be moved.
Boston has righty starters Lucas Giolito, Brayan BelloTanner Houck, , Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock (who could move to the bullpen) back in the fold for 2025. Breslow is looking to acquire an established lefty to put at or near the top of the rotation.
In 2024, Pivetta started in 26 of the 27 appearances he made, going 6-12 with a 4.14 ERA. Over 145 2/3 innings, Pivetta had 36 walks while striking out 172.
While Pivetta’s counting numbers weren’t spectacular, the analytics were attractive enough that he should have no problem landing a multiyear deal. If that wasn’t the case, he likely would have accepted the qualifying offer.
The Red Sox acquired Pivetta on Aug. 21, 2020, from the Phillies for two relievers, Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree, both of whom had an expiring contract at the end of the season.
The trade was a win for Boston, as Pivetta made 131 appearances (107 starts) for the Sox, going 37-41 with a 4.29 ERA.
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