While hindsight is 20/20, it still a surprise to many that Nick Pivetta chose todecline the Boston Red Sox's one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer in November.
While it would've only guaranteed one more season, it would have still been quite the payday for the former Red Sox starter, topping his career earnings of $17 million. However, driven by the belief that his market in free agency was strong, Pivetta left the deal on the table, believing he could field better offers from other clubs.
However, just months after declining Boston’s QO, it looks as if Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow’s insights have paid off. Despite many questioning the move at the time, Breslow’s decision to give a QO to Pivetta and not Tyler O’Neill, who had just hit 31 homers to go along with a 131 wRC+, looks better by the day. With Pivetta's free agency stalling, he must be regretting his decision not to accept the QO.
Nick Pivetta market stalling after he rejected Red Sox's surprising qualifying offer
Unfortunately for Pivetta, it is almost a given at this point that he will have to settle for less money than he may have imagined. While Pivetta certainly has good stuff (he averaged 10.6 SO/9 in 2024), he has been extremely inconsistent in Boston.
In 633 innings for the Red Sox, Pivetta pitched to a 4.29 ERA, a 4.18 FIP, and an ERA+ of 103. While these numbers are not awful, they are certainly not elite either, and with Pivetta’s struggles keeping the ball in the yard, it is understandable why teams are hesitant to shell out a multi-year deal. On top of this, because Boston put a QO on Pivetta, they'll receive a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere, adding another layer of hesitancy for any potential suitor.
While it is still up in the air where Pivetta will pitch in 2025, it is clear that he greatly miscalculated his market heading into free agency. And with Boston making considerable pitching upgrades with their trade for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet and signings of former Dodgers ace Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval, Pivetta’s time in Boston appears to be over.