The San Diego Padres and longtime Boston Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta have come to terms on a four-year, $55 million deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Pivetta joins the Padres after spending five seasons in Boston, where he made 131 appearances (107 starts) with a 4.29 ERA. The 31-year-old right-hander earned $7.5 million in his final arbitration year and was one of 12 players who declined the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer. Passan reports that the deal contains opt-outs after the second and third seasons.
BREAKING: Right-hander Nick Pivetta and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a four-year, $55 million contract that includes a pair of opt-outs, pending physical, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 13, 2025
Passan: Padres Sign Free Agent Right-Hander Nick Pivetta to Four-Year Deal
Drafted by the Nationals in 2013, Pivetta made his MLB debut for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017. He started 26 games for Philadelphia, finishing the season with an 8-10 record, 6.01 ERA, and 140 strikeouts over 133 innings. Pivetta led all major league rookies with 9.47 strikeouts per nine innings, the highest by a Phillies rookie with at least 25 starts. The following year, he was fifth in the National League with 10.32 strikeouts per nine innings, the second-highest rate of any Phillies pitcher in franchise history. Pivetta made three appearances with Philadelphia during the COVID-shortened 2020 season before being traded to the Red Sox.
Heading into his age-32 season, Pivetta posted a 4.14 ERA over 145 ⅔ innings in 2024 and has the upside of a front-line starter. The veteran right-hander struck out 28.9% of opponents with 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings, the second-highest rate of his career. He had a strong September, posting a 2.54 ERA while striking out 31 over his final five starts of the season.
Despite a near-league average ERA, his 3.51 expected ERA and .291 xwOBA were among the best in MLB. With plus stuff and plus command, Pivetta has big-arm potential, he just needs to put the pieces together.
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