Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox $21M Hurler Urged To Join Cardinals If He Leaves Boston

Will the Red Sox fan-favorite decide to come back to Boston?

Patrick McAvoy

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The Boston Red Sox have started making some tough decision already this offseason.

Boston decided to offer starting pitcher Nick Pivetta the qualifying offer, meaning there's a chance he could return to the organization on a one-year deal worth just over $21 million in 2025. It's not a guarantee, and he will continue speaking to teams in free agency, but he may return.

If Pivetta does decide against a reunion with Boston, one team that was urged to pick him up is the St. Louis Cardinals by The Athletic's Tim Britton, Chad Jennings, and Aaron Gleeman.

"Pivetta is a durable innings eater who can, at times, do more than just eat innings," Britton, Jennings, and Gleeman said. "His strikeout rate the past two years was fourth-best in the majors among pitchers with at least 250 innings, and his 4.09 ERA the past two seasons is comparable to that of Dylan Cease (4.00), Aaron Nola (4.01) and Joe Ryan (4.10). Granted, some of Pivetta’s productivity came out of the bullpen in the second half of 2023, but his best stretches have been impressive, even if they’ve been mixed with patches of vulnerability and inconsistency.

"At the very least, though, Pivetta has been available. When he missed most of April with a flexor strain, it was his first extended IL stint in the big leagues. He has otherwise been healthy and capable of 30-plus starts...Best fits: (Milwaukee Brewers), (St. Louis Cardinals), (Tampa Bay Rays)."

It wouldn't be shocking to see Pivetta return, as the $21 million deal is a big raise for him. But if a team like the Cardinals offer a multi-year deal, maybe he will decide to leave.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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