Red Sox $48 Million Star Predicted To Ditch Boston For Cardinals In Free Agency

Expectations are high for the Boston Red Sox to add big-name talent in free agency this year, but it’s worth remembering that Boston has several free agents of their own.

There’s slugging outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who led the team in home runs this season. There are reliable veteran relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin. Then, there’s the only free agent the Red Sox have already made a confirmed offer to this winter.

Starting pitcher Nick Pivetta received a qualifying offer from the Red Sox at the start of the month, then turned it down the week before Thanksgiving. This means Boston will get an extra draft pick if Pivetta departs, but there’s still a chance the Sox might want to bring him back, too.

If Pivetta does leave, however, perhaps he could reunite with the man who brought him to Boston in the first place.

On Friday, Pivetta was predicted to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals by Andy McCullough of The Athletic. Earlier this month, the same publication projected a three-year, $48 million contract for Pivetta this winter.

“A new era is dawning in St. Louis, where John Mozeliak is a year away from handing over the keys of the franchise to former Rays and Red Sox executive Chaim Bloom. Bloom acquired Pivetta with Boston back in 2020,” McCullough said.

“Pivetta puts up tantalizing peripheral numbers and misses a lot of bats. If he could ever cut down on his home run rate, he might look like a No. 2 or No. 3 starter. Perhaps he could realize that fate in St. Louis.”

Pivetta, 31, had a 6-12 record and 4.14 ERA this past season. But he struck out 10.6 batters per nine innings, a season after putting up an 11.5 mark in the same category. He’s got a career home run rate of 1.5 per nine innings, but his stuff is nasty if he can ever figure out how to keep it away from barrels.

The Cardinals might not be bigger spenders than the Red Sox on the whole, but one could see them outmaneuvering Boston for Pivetta if the Sox’s front office prioritizes bigger names on the starting pitching market. The righty would then hope to make his old team rue the day they let him walk.

More MLB: Insider’s Proposed Red Sox Blockbuster Swaps 24-Year-Old Slugger For Garrett Crochet