Padres Linked to $60 Million Free Agent Starting Pitcher in Potential Blockbuster Signing

At this point linking the San Diego Padres to starting pitchers sounds like a broken record, but here they are again.

This time, the Padres have been connected to Nick Pivetta, who is by far the best available free agent starter. He is one of two remaining free agents, alongside Alex Bregman, who were given a qualifying offer in early November.

According to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox "would love" for Pivetta to sign with a different team, citing the draft pick as why.

"To that end, the Red Sox would love to see Pivetta sign elsewhere soon," Cotillo wrote. "If he reaches a deal with another club, Boston will receive a compensation pick before the third round in July’s draft (at our around the 77th overall pick). The only way that doesn’t happen is he signs after the draft (considering that would mean he waits until the All-Star break, unlikely) or re-signs."

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During his five seasons with the Red Sox, Pivetta had a 2.73 ERA, 0.926 WHIP, and 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 24 relief appearances. In contrast, over 107 starts, he recorded a 4.47 ERA, 1.278 WHIP, and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Pivetta would be a good fit for the Padres.

"Right-hander Nick Pivetta radiates talent, and teams' pitching models adore his stuff. Teams in need of more starting pitching – the Cleveland Guardians, the San Diego Padres, even Boston, where the 32-year-old Pivetta spent the past five years – are obvious fits," writes Pivetta.

Pivetta has been a reliable innings eater for the middle of the Boston rotation in recent seasons. While he struggled early in 2023 and was briefly demoted to the bullpen, Pivetta bounced back with strong performances down the stretch, earning his spot back in the starting rotation.

Pivetta did miss some time early in the season due to a flexor strain, marking the first non-virus-related IL stint of his career, but he returned to form by mid-May without any further issues.

Though Pivetta has never posted an ERA below 4.00, his strikeout and walk rates suggest more upside than his ERA reflects. Over the past two seasons, he's struck out 30 percent of hitters while issuing walks at a 7.3 percent clip.

Pivetta made 27 starts last season, posting a 4.14 ERA across 145.2 innings.

Pivetta's market value on Spotrac is a four-year, $60 million deal. At this point in the offseason, though, he may not cash in on such a big offer.

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