Are the Boston Red Sox About to Demote Veteran Starter?

The Boston Red Sox starting pitching surplus is perhaps about to come to a head, as veteran Nick Pivetta could be on his way to the bullpen.

With a healthy James Paxton now in the fold, the Sox have rolled with a six-man rotation recently of Paxton, Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck, but that doesn't appear tenable for long. Further complicating matters is that Garrett Whitlock could be on his way back from injury this weekend, giving the Sox seven starters.

The Red Sox beat the Mariners on Tuesday, 9-4, in a game that Pivetta started and Chris Cotillo of MassLive tweeted this after:

Cora wouldn’t guarantee Pivetta another start, saying they haven’t set their rotation yet for Anaheim.

Cora wouldn’t guarantee Pivetta another start, saying they haven’t set their rotation yet for Anaheim.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 17, 2023

Pivetta got the win against Seattle, but was shaky overall. He went 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs. He also walked four batters while striking out six.

For the season, he's 3-3 with an ERA of 6.30 ERA. He's also posted a WHIP of 1.55.

When Whitlock comes back, the most logical moves seem to be sending Bello back to Triple-A and moving Pivetta to the 'pen. He has the numbers to warrant it, and he excelled in the bullpen during the 2021 playoffs. The issue is that he doesn't want to go to the bullpen, telling the media recently that he's a starter and will continue to be one.

He's also going to be a free agent after 2024 and undoubtedly wants to be paid like a starter.

The Red Sox finish up the series with the Mariners on Wednesday before going to San Diego, Anaheim and Arizona.

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