During the off-season, the Cleveland Guardians re-signed Shane Bieber and traded for Luis L. Ortiz and Slade Cecconi.
These three will join Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Ben Lively, Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen, and others on the beginning pitching depth chart.
However, Bieber will not be ready for the season’s start.
He’ll be out for at least a few months, if not longer, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Cleveland could certainly use a top-tier starter to assist Bibee navigate those early months and relieve some of the burden.
With that in mind, MLB insider Jeff Passan feels the Guardians could be a viable destination for free agency right-hander Nick Pivetta.
“Right-hander Nick Pivetta exudes talent, and teams’ pitching models enjoy his work. Teams in need of starting pitching — the Cleveland Guardians, the San Diego Padres, and even Boston, where the 32-year-old Pivetta spent the previous five years — are obvious options, he wrote for ESPN.
Passan speculates that the Guardians could become an option for Pivetta because his price continues to fall as spring training games and the season progress.
Pivetta, who turned down a qualifying offer, is tied to draft pick compensation.
This is where the Guardians’ extra pick from the Josh Naylor trade could come in handy.
Pivetta’s ERA has over 4.00 in all eight MLB seasons.
However, he was at 4.14 last year with a 172/36 SO/BB ratio, which would look great in the Guardians’ lineup.
If the Guardians are willing to deal with a high pick (knowing they have the aforementioned one as backup), or if they are willing to wait until after the draft, Pivetta may be a valuable addition to the team.
