The Cleveland Guardians were able to re-sign Shane Bieber and bring in Luis L. Ortiz and Slade Cecconi via trade during the off-season.
Those three will join Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Ben Lively, Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen, and others in the starting pitching depth chart.
Bieber, however, won’t be ready for the start of the season.
He will miss at least a couple of months, potentially more, as he completes his rehab from Tommy John surgery.
Cleveland could surely use a top-tier starter to navigate those first months and help Bibee carry some of the pressure.
With that in mind, MLB insider Jeff Passan believes that the Guardians could be a potential landing spot for free agent right-hander Nick Pivetta.
“Right-hander Nick Pivetta radiates talent, and teams’ pitching models adore his stuff. Teams in need of more starting pitching — the Cleveland Guardians, the San Diego Padres, even Boston, where the 32-year-old Pivetta spent the past five years — are obvious fits,” he wrote for ESPN.
Should the Guardians try to acquire Nick Pivetta? pic.twitter.com/DqEYjTFxMq
— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) February 12, 2025
Passan suggests that the Guardians might become an option for Pivetta because the closer we get to the start of spring training games and the season, the further his price plummets.
Pivetta, having rejected a qualifying offer, is attached to draft pick compensation.
This is where the extra pick the Guardians got in the Josh Naylor trade could come in handy.
Pivetta has finished each of his eight MLB seasons with an ERA over 4.00.
However, he was at 4.14 last year with a 172/36 SO/BB ratio, which would look very nice in the Guardians’ rotation.
If the Guardians are OK with parting with a high pick (knowing that they have the aforementioned one as insurance) or if they are willing to wait until after the draft, Pivetta could be a nice addition to the staff.
NEXT: Guardians Pitching Prospect Looks Dominant In Recent Mound Session
