Once-Surprising Red Sox Move Proved To Be Excellent Choice

A move the Red Sox made at the outset of their offseason initially surprised fans and media members alike.

Boston presented Nick Pivetta with a qualifying offer, which gave the veteran right-hander the opportunity to pitch for the Red Sox in 2025 on a salary worth a little over $21 million. That would have been a steep price for a pitcher who has never recorded more than 10 wins nor posted an ERA under 4.00 in a single season.

But Pivetta, whose base salary last campaign was a career-high $7.5 million, rejected the offer and punched his ticket to MLB free agency. The 31-year-old now can talk shop with any team he wishes, and a return to Boston reportedly is “unlikely.”

Craig Breslow and company deserve credit for rolling the dice. Pivetta’s market might have been difficult to forecast, as he’s shown flashes of lights-out stuff but certainly is not a frontline starter. And had the eight-year veteran not generated much interest around the league, he could have hamstrung the Red Sox’s offseason efforts by accepting the offer and taking the significant pay bump.

Signing Pivetta to a lucrative, long-term deal now will be someone else’s business. And if — but more likely “when” — the Canada native latches on with another team, Boston will receive a compensatory draft pick slotted higher than the third round.

A comp pick might come off as an inadequate return for a pitcher who takes great pride in posting and has experience as both a starter and an innings-eating reliever. But keep in mind that Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell — a pair of top-10 prospects in all of baseball — joined the Red Sox organization as compensatory draft picks. It’s certainly not an irrelevant asset.

Boston also seems hellbent on bolstering its pitching staff this offseason. So much so that it could be limiting the Red Sox’s competitiveness in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Breslow and his staff also appear to be in touch with multiple above-average arms, so replacing Pivetta and then some might be on the docket.

All told, Boston’s front office played it perfectly with Pivetta. His leadership and competitive fire likely will be missed in Boston’s clubhouse, but the Red Sox kept their foot on the gas while he walked out the door.