In the end, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow proved to be correct. He made a calculated risk by extending a one-year, $21 million qualifying offer to the unpredictable Nick Pivetta, hoping the market would be strong enough for the veteran pitcher to decline the offer.
It was a bold move—Pivetta had the option to accept the offer, securing a substantial salary for 2025, or reject it and re-enter the free-agent market next year.
At the time of the offer, MassLive reporter Chris Cotillo described the decision as “shocking” on *The Fenway Rundown* podcast, adding that it wasn’t something anyone had expected, saying, “Nick Pivetta gets the qualifying offer from the Red Sox. That was interesting just because it wasn’t, as the kids say, on the bingo card.”
Breslow, however, understood that there was probably a multi-year market for a pitcher of Pivetta’s caliber. He also knew that if Pivetta declined the Red Sox’s qualifying offer, the team would receive a compensatory late second-round draft pick next year.
On Tuesday, the deadline for qualifying offer decisions, Pivetta made it official: after five seasons with a 37-41 record and a 4.29 ERA, he chose to become a free agent. This likely signals that the Red Sox are parting ways with the 31-year-old as they pursue better options in free agency.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, in addition to their pursuit of Juan Soto, the Red Sox are aiming to add a top-tier starting pitcher. Passan mentioned Atlanta’s Max Fried and Blake Snell of the Giants as potential targets for the team.
Either of those pitchers would be a significant upgrade to the top of the rotation.
By the end of the 2024 season, it was clear that the Red Sox had three reliable starters in place: Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and possibly the standout of the group, Tanner Houck. They also have last year’s top pitching acquisition, Lucas Giolito, who is recovering from an elbow injury suffered during spring training, ready to contribute once he’s fully healthy.
However, the Red Sox are in need of both elite talent and depth in their rotation. This is why they are considered among the front-runners to trade for coveted White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet, as well as sign pitchers like Blake Snell or Max Fried. Adding either of those two to the top of a rotation featuring Bello, Crawford, and Houck (who would likely be included in a trade for Crochet) would give the Red Sox a significant advantage in the arms race.
It’s unlikely they’ll land both, but the impending departure of Pivetta at least opens up the space for them to pursue these high-profile names.
