The hurler was primarily a back-end rotation arm for the Red Sox, but also served as a backup for much of 2023. Pivetta notoriously objected to the idea of ​​Boston demoting him to the bullpen last May, but he quickly adjusted to the role. Aside from that blip, he has been an important and consistent part of the Red Sox over the last four and a half seasons, despite the team’s mediocrity and pitching instability over that span.

Both Cora and Pivetta recalled perhaps the pitcher’s most memorable moment in Boston: Game 3 of the 2021 ALDS. Pivetta pitched four scoreless innings in relief in extra innings against the Rays at Fenway. He struck out seven, paving the way for a walkoff home run by Christian Vazquez in the 13th inning that gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

Cora praised Pivetta’s tenure in Boston after the game and even gave the player a positive reference before his free agency.

“He enjoys competing. …He works so hard. He is intense. … He’s good for us,” Cora said during his postgame press conference. “He is a veteran. He posts. He knows what’s important, here, in the weight room, in the training room. He was demoted last year, he complained one day. And then the next day he showed up and said, ‘I’m going to the bullpen.’ He understands how that works and he’s good for any team, let’s put it that way.”

Cora’s last sentence was significant considering Pivetta and the Red Sox have not yet discussed a return The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. Still, Pivetta said he hopes to re-sign with the Red Sox. When asked if he was ready to return, he cited the comfort he and his wife had in Boston.

Whether he stays with the Red Sox in 2025 or ends up somewhere else, Pivetta explained that he still has a lot more left in the tank.

“I don’t think I’ve reached my ceiling yet, and I think there’s a lot more,” he said.