In a recent article, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted every MLB team's starting rotation on Opening Day. His prediction has former Red Sox Nick Pivetta heading to his native Canada to play for the Blue Jays. Reuter wrote that the Jays are a "sleeping giant" after missing on Juan Soto and will therefore look to add pitching depth in their rotation.
Pivetta declined the Red Sox's qualifying offer in November, becoming a free agent and earning the Red Sox a compensatory draft pick. Though Pivetta has never had a single-season ERA under 4.00, his market is expected to be strong enough given his consistency and his swing-and-miss stuff. He averaged more than 150 innings over his last four seasons in Boston, and he has great strikeout numbers, with 355 total punch-outs over the last two seasons.
.@jonmorosi mentions a few teams that could be in the mix for free agents Nick Pivetta and Jurickson Profar 👇 pic.twitter.com/saajxLe2ck
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 3, 2025
Bleacher Report predicts Nick Pivetta will land with Red Sox rival Blue Jays
It was a surprise that Pivetta even received a qualifying offer from the Red Sox in the first place, with many expecting that Tyler O'Neill would receive it instead. Given his pedigree and the guaranteed $21.05 million for 2025, it was even more surprising that Pivetta declined the offer. With Pivetta seeking more than the hefty salary the Red Sox offered, it's unlikely that re-signing him was a serious option for the front office.
Pivetta would have been a solid depth arm for the Sox in 2025, as he has been a consistent innings-eater for the last several seasons in rotations that generally lacked such pitchers. But perhaps his refusal of the qualifying offer was a good thing. Losing Pivetta may have at least partially compelled Boston to invest heavily in pitching this offseason, as they've already acquired Garrett Crochet via trade and Patrick Sandoval and Walker Buehler in free agency.
In the grand scheme of things, Pivetta landing in Toronto isn't the end of the world for the Red Sox. Not only did they improve their rotation in spite of losing him, but they also picked up a compensatory pick due to his rejection of the qualifying offer. Moreover, Pivetta's high asking price makes his value questionable. It'll hurt to see him in a rival uniform, but not pursuing him more actively in free agency was the right choice.