Red Sox Tabbed For $12 Million Reunion With Embattled Free Agent On One-Year Contract

The unlikeliest of Boston Red Sox reunions is slowly looking more likely by the day.

At the beginning of the offseason, the Red Sox extended a qualifying offer to Nick Pivetta, which the righty rejected. The offer would have paid him $21.05 million for one year, but thanks to his electric stuff, Pivetta and his agent seemed to believe a multi-year deal was on the table elsewhere.

Unfortunately, it's now February, and Pivetta still hasn't signed. Any team that is considering him has to weigh the penalty of surrendering a draft pick, which would be a first-rounder for teams over the competitive balance tax threshold, to get their hands on him.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, filled out their rotation with the acquisitions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler. At this point, they'd likely rather have the extra draft pick than another year of Pivetta - but if they can't have the former, are they still interested in the latter?

On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicted that Pivetta would return to the Red Sox on a one-year deal worth $12 million to serve in a swingman role.

"(The Red Sox) already have a formidable six-man rotation and don't seem likely to bring (Pivetta) back, unless it's on something like a one-year, $12M deal to serve as a long reliever and occasional spot starter," Miller wrote.

"Because of that, Pivetta might not sign anywhere for another month, waiting to see if anyone's need for pitching becomes dire enough to forfeit the draft pick and give him a multi-year deal; settling for another year in Boston if that offer never comes."

Officially, Pivetta would have to wait to sign with another team until Jun. 2 until the draft pick compensation would no longer be attached. It's a question of how long the righty is willing to play the waiting game before he becomes more concerned about putting together a full season.

Pivetta has worked out well as a reliever whenever the Red Sox have used him in that capacity. He strikes out 12.0 batters per nine innings when used as a reliever in his career, and the last time he did it, in 2023, he put up a 3.07 ERA in 55 2/3 innings.

There will be grumbles from Red Sox fans if the Red Sox end up spending $12 million on Pivetta and signing no impact bats this offseason. But once the team takes the field, all that will matter is whether the players perform individually - and we'll find out eventually whether Pivetta is one of those players.

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