1 month agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Nick Pivetta tossed 2 2/3 shutout frames in his spring training debut on Tuesday. Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Padres in February and was slightly behind schedule to start camp. However, the 32-year-old looked sharp in his first taste of game action as he tallied four punchouts and allowed just one base runner (via a free pass). Last season, Pivetta logged 145 2/3 innings with a 4.14 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP with the Boston Red Sox. He tallied an impressive 172 strikeouts and held a strong 6.1 percent walk rate. He also generated a 3.51 xERA with a .221 xBA, suggesting he should see significant positive regression during the 2025 campaign. Fantasy managers should view Pivetta as an intriguing option in the later rounds when looking to boost their strikeout totals.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 months agoFree-agent right-hander
Nick Pivetta and the San Diego Padres agreed to a four-year, $55 million deal on Wednesday that includes a pair of opt-outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons and is pending a physical, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. Pivetta will now join a starting rotation in San Diego that includes right-handers
Dylan Cease,
Michael King and
Yu Darvish. The 31-year-old Canadian hurler went 6-12 last year with Boston with a 4.14 ERA (4.07 FIP), 1.13 WHIP and 172:36 K:BB in 145 2/3 innings over 27 outings (26 starts). He's known for peppering the strike zone (career 8.6% walk rate) and has had an above average strikeout rate the last two years at 30% while being a swing man in Boston in 2023. Pivetta is not overpowering by any means with a career 41.3% hard-hit rate, but the move to Petco Park should be good news for his fantasy profile as a No. 5 or 6 fantasy starting pitcher.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
2 months agoAccording to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the San Diego Padres would target
Jack Flaherty or
Nick Pivetta in free agency if they trade
Dylan Cease or
Michael King. Both Cease and King have been around trade discussions throughout the offseason and have begun to see their market begin to heat up over the past week. The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets have been reported to have shown interest in both of these pitchers. However, Heyman noted that if the Padres were to trade one of these, they would look to target a replacement. Last season, Flaherty spent time with the Tigers before moving to Los Angeles to win a World Series. Across 162 frames, Flaherty struck out 194 batters with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Pivetta logged 145 2/3 innings with a 4.14 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He struck out 172 batters with a strong 6.1% walk rate.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
4 months agoThe Toronto Blue Jays are among the many teams that are interested in free-agent right-hander
Nick Pivetta, who is a Canadian native. Pivetta declined a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer from the Boston Red Sox, so any team willing to sign him in free agency will have to give up draft-pick compensation to Boston. Despite never having an ERA under 4.00 in eight major-league seasons, Pivetta has a strong market this offseason as a free agent. The 31-year-old had a 4.14 ERA (4.07 FIP), a 1.13 WHIP and a 172:36 K:BB in 145 2/3 innings over 27 outings (26 starts) for Boston in 2024. Strikeouts are the main draw with Pivetta after having over a 30% strikeout rate the last two seasons. When he does allow contact, though, it's typically hard, and home runs have been an issue. A move out of the American League East would probably be a plus for his fantasy value in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
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