Another division rival enters Blue Jays orbit
Another day, another pitching rumour.
Nick Pivetta, who holds the unique distinction of being a Canadian pitcher who was once booed off the mound at Rogers Centre, finds himself as the latest subject of the Blue Jays free agency quest to add a starting pitcher.
The Blue Jays and Pivetta know each other well, with the Canadian from Victoria, BC, having spent the last five seasons with division rival Boston Red Sox.
Pivetta was originally drafted by the Washington Nationals as a fourth round pick in 2013.
He immediately had success in the minor leagues before being traded to the Phillies for the king of temper tantrums Jonathan Papelbon.
He made his debut with Philadelphia in 2017 and stayed with them until being traded to Boston midway through the 2020 season.
Although his career record is 56-71, he has won 10 games twice and led the league in starts in 2022 with 33. With pitcher wins mattering less than they used to, Pivetta's sub-500 record likely won't be a deterrent for the Blue Jays or any club that pursues him.
Pivetta's best season came in 2023, where he made more appearances out of the bullpen then he did out of the rotation. Still he went 10-9 with an ERA of 4.04 and struck out 183 batters over 142.2 innings.
While he spent a good chunk of that season in the Red Sox bullpen, if he does sign with the Blue Jays it would be as a starting pitcher.
Pivetta is a power pitcher with a high strike out rate. In 2017, he led all Major League Rookies in strikeouts-per-nine innings with 9.7 and 3rd in strikeouts with 140. And while his numbers might not jump off the page, he has the ability to be deadly.
Pivetta did decline a qualifying offer from the Red Sox, which means that they will receive a compensation round draft pick should he sign elsewhere.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 16 | 139 ANSWERS Another division rival enters Blue Jays orbit Would Nick Pivetta be a good choice for the Blue Jays? | ||
| Yes | 77 | 55.4 % |
| No | 62 | 44.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
