Nick Pivetta never second-guessed himself and stayed patient.
The right-hander turned down a $21.05-million qualifying offer from the Boston Red Sox in November and opted for free agency. It was a bit of a gamble for the 32-year-old after he had a so-so season last year, going 6-12 with a 4.04 ERA in 26 starts and one relief appearance.
When Pivetta was asked he even considered the qualifying offer, he gave a one-work answer, “No.”
Pivetta had to wait all the way until the early days of spring training before singing a unique four-year, $55-million contract with the San Diego Padres. Having to wait all winter before landing with a new team wasn’t as stressful on Pivetta as one might expect, though.
“Free agency has become slow every winter, and it basically affects everybody but the top-tier pitchers or top-tier free agents,” Pivetta said. “So, I figured it was going be a while before I signed. I was prepared for that.”
Nick Pivetta Kept Offseason Normal As Possible
Despite his winter of uncertainty, Pivetta went about his normal off-season workout routine. He felt he needed to be ready when some team eventually signed him.
“I think it’s just something you keep in your preparation because like anything can kind of happen, Pivetta said. “I’ve kind of paid attention to the previous free agencies and saw when certain guys signed late. I had conversations with some of those guys and they said it’s no different than getting ready for a regular spring training.
“It’s just that you don’t know where you are going but the keep your body as ready as much as you possible can.”
Pivetta’s contract is interesting as his salary is just $1.75 million this season. The salaries increase to $19.75 next season then $14.75 million in 2027 and $18.75 million in 2028, Pivetta can opt out of the deal following the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
“I thought it was the best contract offer, and I didn’t get a lot of contract offers,” Pivetta. “You want to be somewhere where you have a comfort level, and I do with my teammates and management. It just felt right signing with the Padres.”
Pivetta Pitching Well For Padres
Pivetta has played a pivotal role for the Padres, He has a 5-2 record and 2.72 ERA in 10 starts, striking out 63 batters in 56 1/3 innings while allowing just 39 hits.
Pivetta has also taken a step up in his performance. He entered the season with a career record if 56-71 and a 4,76 ERA over eight seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Red Sox.
“He’s been a huge addition, and I mean a huge addition. I can’t overstate enough,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We had a really good conversation with Nick before signing him and ever since he signed here there has been a real synergy between Nick, (pitching coach) Ruben Niebla and the pitching department. They’ve worked very well together, and Nick adapted very quickly to what we wanted do,”
Pivetta Excited About Padres Potential
Pivetta, though, isn’t so impressed with his personal success.
After making the postseason only once in his career, in 2021 with the Red Sox, Pivetta is excited about the Padres’ chances of qualifying for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and the third time in four years.
The Padres are 31-22 and in second place in the National League West, two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“As a whole team, we’re all doing the right thing, checking the right boxes,” Nick Pivetta said. “I think it’s just like top down everybody’s just doing their jobs and have fun. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”