The Padres just made a move on the mound! Nick Pivetta is heading to San Diego on a four-year, $55 million deal, complete with multiple opt-outs. Pivetta will receive a $3 million signing bonus, including $1 million in 2025. The following year, the 32-year-old will get $19 million in 2026, $14 million, and $18 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively. With a fresh contract and a new challenge, Pivetta is ready to bring the heat to Petco Park!

Last November, Pivetta decided to gamble on himself by declining a qualifying offer of $21.05 million from the Boston Red Sox in the summer. This deal happened just hours before San Diego had its first formal spring training session with its pitchers and catchers. Was this the right move for Pivetta? One insider does not think so. 

Was signing with the Padres a mistake? 

MLB insider Jim Bowden recently joined the podcast Foul Territory and discussed the Nick Pivetta deal. When asked about what he thinks about the deal, Bowden said, “I think Nick Pivetta and his agent made a huge mistake. They were offered 20.9 million on a one-year contract, and they rejected it. How in the world do you reject that? Now he’s gonna pay the price. Now the A.A.V is what, 10 or 11 million a year?”

Bowden says that Pivetta could have had 20 in the first year and have gotten back to the market next year. Although Bowden says that the Canadian pitcher made a mistake, he also thinks that the pitcher did the right thing by pivoting to a new deal and not crying over a lost deal. With Joe Musgrove gone for most of the 2025 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery, Nick Pivetta will fit right into the rotation at the 4th spot after Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Yu Darvish. 

The Red Sox’s qualifying offer to Nick Pivetta  

When the Boston Red Sox surprised everyone by extending a qualifying offer to Nick Pivetta, it raised a few eyebrows—after all, Pivetta’s time in Boston had been a bit of a roller coaster. By turning down the $21.05 million offer, Pivetta set up the Sox to score a Draft pick as compensation if another team swoops in for him. That’s a nice little bonus for Boston, especially since only one player (Nick Martinez) decided to accept the qualifying offer.  

But the Sox were not out of the Pivetta business just yet. The team still had the option to bring him back under a new, adjusted deal. With a starting rotation that already features the likes of Lucas Giolito, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Garrett Whitlock (who might shift to the bullpen), there was a good chance some creative moves were in the cards. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and Nick Pivetta now belongs to the Padres. 

Now, let’s talk about what Boston’s really eyeing: a top-tier lefty. The rotation is solid but needs that one ace to lead the charge, and Breslow’s not shy about shaking things up to make that happen. With so many options in the starting mix, a savvy trade or signing could be the key to adding that missing piece at the top. Who do you think the Red Sox should trade or sign to make up for Nick Pivetta?