Baseball Insider believes Red Sox starter will get huge deal in free agency (report)
With the MLB Winter Meetings drawing closer by the day, the free agent market is starting to heat up. On Tuesday, a Red Sox free agent was at the center of the rumor mill. Following an up-and-down 2024 campaign, Pivetta is drawing a lot of interest and could land a huge deal.
In his MLB offseason preview, ESPN’s Jeff Passan gave some insight on where things stand with Pivetta.
“ He almost certainly won’t accept the qualifying offer to return to Boston; at least a three-year deal awaits Pivetta in free agency,” Passan wrote Tuesday. “Teams believe his stuff plays like a frontline starter, and whether it’s the Cubs, Orioles, Braves or others, Pivetta is looking at one of the biggest deals of the winter for a starter.”
During the 2024 campaign, the former fourth-round pick posted a 4.14 ERA, striking out 172 batters. He held opponents to a .231 batting average and recorded six wins. While numbers don’t jump off the page, Pivetta had stretches of excellence and was a reliable veteran in a young rotation.
Since being traded to the Red Sox, Pivetta has been durable and played various roles. In four seasons, he has made 128 appearances, 105 of which came as a starter. His ability to take the ball every fifth day would be valuable to any team searching for a rotation upgrade. That is partly why he already has a decent market without any big names off the board.
In a projection from Passan’s ESPN colleague Kiley McDaniel, Pivetta is predicted to land a three-year, $63 million deal. Many teams across the league would be banking on his upside, as Pivetta is only 31 years old. As the pitching market starts to take shape, Pivetta will be a name to watch as he looks to make the most of free agency.
