Red Sox Bitter Rival Was 'Very High' On Projected $27 Fan-Favorite

Could the Red Sox rival look to land the Boston fan-favorite?

Aug 20, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (37) delivers a pitch during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox had some major question marks ahead of the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Some wondered whether or not the Red Sox were going to sell. It seemed like that was going to be the case to kick off the season, but then the Red Sox began stacking up wins despite being bitten by the injury bug.

Boston was over 10 games above .500 at one point and opted to buy around the trade deadline. Things didn't work out in their favor, but the Red Sox did make an effort at least. One player who was mentioned in trade rumors for a while was fiery starter Nick Pivetta.

He has been with the team since 2020 and will be a free agent this winter. It seemed like he could be moved, but the club opted against a move. This doesn't mean that teams weren't interested. The Houston Astros reportedly "were very high" on him this summer, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

"According to multiple league sources, the Astros were very high on Pivetta and targeted him as a rotation addition ahead of the trade deadline, when they gave up a trio of young prospects for Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi (a deal the industry widely considered an overpay)," Cotillo said. "At that point, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had already committed to bolstering his club by buying and decided not to go back on his promise by offloading Pivetta or other veterans on expiring contracts."

Now that Pivetta will be entering free agency this winter, could the Astros be a possible landing spot?

More MLB: Red Sox Could Be Prime Option For Projected $52 Million Flamethrower