The Blue Jays are concerned out there for Nick Pivetta, studies Jon Heyman of the New York Submit. They’re one among a handful of groups that has been linked to the 6’5″ righty. The Reds, Mets and incumbent Crimson Sox have additionally been linked to Pivetta this offseason.
Pivetta, who’s a local of British Columbia, is without doubt one of the higher unsigned beginning pitchers. He’s one among three pitchers — alongside Corbin Burnes and Sean Manaea — who stay free brokers after declining the qualifying supply. There was some shock that the Crimson Sox risked the $21.05MM QO, however that proved a prescient resolution in what has been a bullish marketplace for beginning pitching.
The 31-year-old (32 in February) has been an innings eater in the course of the Boston rotation for the previous few seasons. Pivetta struggled early within the 2023 marketing campaign and was briefly demoted to the bullpen, however he excelled late within the yr to earn his manner again to the beginning 5. He took the ball 27 occasions this previous season, working to a 4.14 ERA throughout 145 2/3 innings. Pivetta missed a while early within the yr with a flexor pressure. That was the primary non-virus injured listing stint of his MLB profession, although, and he returned with out problem by the center of Might.
Pivetta has by no means posted a sub-4.00 ERA season. His run prevention has landed within the low 4.00s in consecutive seasons, and he carries a 4.09 mark in 288 1/3 frames for the reason that begin of 2023. Pivetta’s strikeout and stroll charges have all the time been extra intriguing than the ERA would possibly recommend. He has punched out 30% of opponents with a stable 7.3% stroll share over the previous two seasons. The swing-and-miss capability has been considerably undercut by Pivetta’s longstanding problem retaining the ball within the park. He has allowed a better than common residence run price in all seven seasons of his MLB profession.
There’s worth within the sturdiness and stable run prevention marks that Pivetta has supplied the Crimson Sox. Some groups might nonetheless view him as a possible #2 or high-end #3 starter primarily based on the stuff and swing-and-miss capability, feeling they will make some tweaks to assist him extra successfully keep off barrels. Speculatively talking, his camp might look to beat the three years and $67MM which Luis Severino just lately secured from the Athletics.
The Jays have proven some degree of curiosity in just about each free agent of be aware. They’ve but to tug off an particularly vital free agent transfer. Their solely signing is a two-year, $15MM deal to deliver again reliever Yimi García. Toronto took on the ultimate 5 years and $97.5MM on Andrés Giménez’s contract through commerce with the Guardians on the Winter Conferences. That’s a big expenditure, however the entrance workplace certainly continues to juggle a number of free agent pursuits.
Toronto is among the many three groups (alongside Boston and San Francisco) most continuously talked about as touchdown spots for Burnes. They’re actually not going to herald Burnes and Pivetta, so the latter is doubtlessly a fallback goal who’d enable them to dedicate extra money into one or two lineup upgrades. The Jays have seemed for a starter to hitch Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis within the Opening Day rotation. That’d enable them to make use of Yariel Rodríguez in reduction, not directly upgrading a bullpen that is still an enormous weak spot regardless of the García pickup.
The Blue Jays are believed to have minimize their payroll narrowly under the posh tax threshold on the finish of the ’24 season. That reduces the penalty they’d pay to signal Pivetta or some other free agent who rejected the QO. Toronto would forfeit its second-highest choose of the 2025 draft plus $500K from the ’26 bonus allotment for worldwide novice gamers.
