Brewers Rumors: MLB insiders suggest Milwaukee a fit for former Red Sox starter

Most of the attention this offseason has centered around what the Milwaukee Brewers have lost and there is good reason for that. Willy Adames' departure was widely expected, but it was still painful to see him ink a deal with the Giants. Trading Devin Williams was always a possibility, but it was a bit shocking to see him get moved to the Yankees even if the return was a worthy one. However, the Brewers are inevitably going to make additions before 2025 and one area they need to address is the starting rotation.

Losing Frankie Montas is a bit of a mixed bag for Milwaukee because while he wasn't a world beater, he did pitch meaningful innings. Wade Miley was hurt all year, but he still was a guy occupying a spot that is now vacant. One hopes that Brandon Woodruff bounces back, but nothing is certain after a pitcher has shoulder surgery.

In short, the Brewers could use another starter and one free agent The Athletic recently floated as a fit that could actually work is former Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta.

Nick Pivetta could be a great addition to the Brewers at the right price

On the surface, Pivetta's numbers don't stand out much. He has averaged a 4.33 ERA the last four seasons and he has a well-chronicled propensity for giving up too much hard contact. However, a deeper look suggests that a change of scenery to Milwaukee who is uniquely good at helping pitchers maximize their abilities could pay off for Pivetta in a big way.

A cursory look at Pivetta's Statcast page shows a pitcher that is in the top 25% among all pitchers in baseball in expected batting average, strikeout percentage, walk percentage, and extension. Those are some encouraging peripherals with his 705 strikeouts over his last 623 innings pitched standing out the most. He has his flaws to be sure, but the guy throws a lot of strikes and gets guys to miss them.

Simply throwing his cutter less (which is his worst performing pitch the last few years) and picking his spots better might be enough to turn Pivetta into a bargain. The potentially bigger issue with Milwaukee going after Pivetta is that he has a qualifying offer attached to his free agency, but the Brewers getting an extra pick for losing Willy Adames would soften the draft pick penalty for signing him as a revenue sharing recipient considerably.

The Athletic's writers identified Milwaukee as a fit for Pivetta and also predicted he would end up getting a three year, $48 million deal this offseason. Given how the market has developed, it wouldn't be shocking if Pivetta got a bit more than that. However, given his stuff and potential upside, he would still be a worthy gamble for Milwaukee to make within reason.

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