Rumor: Nick Pivetta Expected to Decline Qualifying Offer

[Matthew Lenz]

In his latest offseason update, Jeff Passan of ESPN states that Nick Pivetta "almost certainly won't accept the qualifying offer to return to Boston; at least a three-year deal awaits Pivetta in free agency." He goes on to specifically name the Cubs, Orioles, and Braves as teams who believe "his stuff plays like a frontline starter".

It was a somewhat unexpected move for the Red Sox to make a qualifying offer on Pivetta, but it will pay off in the form of a compensation pick in the 2025 MLB Draft depending on the deal he receives in free agency.

Over his eight year big league career, Pivetta has been one of the more solid and reliable starters in Major League Baseball averaging nearly 130 innings per season with a 4.36 FIP and a 17.4% K-BB rate. In 2024 he bested those careers marks with a 4.07 FIP and a 22.9% K-BB rate. Arguably his biggest red flag is his penchant to give up home runs as an extreme fly ballpitcher, something teams will definitely need to consider if they intend to sign the 32-year-old right hander.

What's more surprising to you: Pivetta receiving a qualifying offer or possibly rejecting it?

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