Red Sox Rumors: Nick Pivetta Considering Options Beyond Boston

Nick Pivetta was among the handful of impending free agents potentially counting their final days with the Boston Red Sox. He made his final start to the season on Sept. 27 at Fenway Park and has plenty of time this offseason to decide the next step.

Boston extended a $21.5 million qualifying offer to Pivetta for 2025 after the right-hander finished second in strikeouts (172) and fourth in innings thrown (145 2/3) among all Red Sox pitchers in 2024. That $21.5 million, however, might not be enough to bring Pivetta back as the 31-year-old has already begun examining the open market, giving a glance at offers beyond what Boston put down on the negotiation table.

“Pivetta, question mark,” MLB insider Jon Heyman said on Bleacher Report’s “B/R Walk-Off” stream Wednesday. “I mean, he’s working on deals. He isn’t necessarily taking that qualifying offer although he could. … Obviously, these teams go in there with their eyes wide open. They understand they’re gonna have to pay $21 million.”

Pivetta’s role in Boston spoke for itself throughout the past five years. He’s a durable innings collector capable of pitching both out of the bullpen and starting rotation. In 131 total appearances in a Red Sox uniform, Pivetta has gone 37-41 with a 4.29 ERA, 718 strikeouts and two saves. During the team’s latest postseason hunt (in 2021), Pivetta was a crucial part as he recorded a 2.63 ERA with 14 strikeouts in three appearances.

“Pivetta, there’s a chance he takes the qualifying offer,” Heyman added.

Granted, the $21.5 million offer at Pivetta’s table nearly triples his salary from this past season ($7.5 million), but that won’t stop other teams across the league from presenting multi-year offers. His intensity and competitive demeanor bring an elevated version out of Pivetta that — from time to time — makes itself seen in the regular season. Teams will take note of those intangibles when supplementing their top-of-the-rotation arms this offseason. Pivetta, meanwhile, has until Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. ET to either accept or reject Boston’s offer.