Tuesday marks a very important day in the Red Sox’s offseason.
Nov. 19 is the deadline for Nick Pivetta to decide on the qualifying offer he received from Boston. Should Pivetta accept the offer, he will pitch for Boston in 2025 on a one-year deal worth just over $21 million. But if the right-hander declines, he will stay in MLB free agency and can negotiate with all 30 clubs, including the Red Sox.
Boston presenting the qualifying offer to Pivetta caught some by surprise, as $21.05 million is a hefty salary for a starter who’s never logged more than 10 wins nor posted an ERA under 4.00 in a season. But it proved to be a shrewd move by Craig Breslow and company, who anticipated Pivetta’s reportedly strong market. The Red Sox will receive a second-round compensatory draft pick if the 31-year-old declines the qualifying offer and joins another team.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan last week reported Pivetta “almost certainly won’t accept” the qualifying offer and is in line to sign a free-agent contract of at least three years in length. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, meanwhile, reported “there’s a chance” Pivetta accepts the offer but that he was also considering options outside of Boston, where he’s called home since August 2020.
Should Pivetta walk, it theoretically could make the Red Sox more aggressive in their effort to strengthen their rotation. A recent report claimed Boston had spoken with a pair of frontline starters, including a two-time Cy Young Award winner.
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Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
