Sending Nick Pivetta to the Bullpen: A Disaster for the Red Sox

 There is no doubt— an odd man out in the Red Sox starting rotation seems inevitable. Even with this present, this does not mean there are no question marks. For example, James Paxton has not pitched a full season in four years. Chris Sale has started just 11 games in the past three seasons. Corey Kluber is coming off his first full season since 2018. Garrett Whitlock does not have experience as a starter for a full season. Brayan Bello has not pitched a full season in the majors.


Other than maybe Corey Kluber (the jury is still out on that), Nick Pivetta is the only one in this rotation that can confidently pitch at least 150 innings. Coming off 33 starts last season (the most in the league), some sources say he is looking like “the odd one out.” This would be a big mistake, as competitive teams need decent pitchers who are inning eaters. 


If the rotation includes the names mentioned above, there is a major concern for health. Two of those guys could go down in the same week and there are still guys who are major injury concerns. And it is much different to become a full time starter from starting the season in the bullpen. Players have to prepare differently, and he hasn’t pitched out of the bullpen since the second half of 2019. He is used to being a starter and even though he is a young arm, you do not want to mess with it in that way because of its value and durability in the rotation.


In his 17 relief appearances with the Phillies in 2019, Pivetta posted a 4.38 ERA and pitched 24.2 innings. Those numbers do not stand out, but those numbers would be better if he were to pitch 150+ innings as a starter. The one argument to make would be that his current 12-6 curve and fastball with his occasional changeup combination would be great for a two-to-three inning appearance. It would make more sense if the season was 60 games long. However, the season is about 100 games longer, and the Red Sox cannot afford a scramble for starters like they did last season if they are going to be competitive. 


So far in spring training, Bello has been dealing with forearm tightness, Whitlock is still recovering from his surgery he underwent late last season, and Paxton appears to have injured his right leg in his 2023 Spring Training debut. It would be a joke if the Red Sox decided to put Pivetta in the bullpen in spite of all the injuries occurring already. Assigning him to the bullpen would indicate the Sox are confident in the whole rotation to stay healthy for the majority of the season. Keeping Pivetta in the rotation will be vital if the Sox are going to be competitive this year. 

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