McAdam: After getting an overhaul last summer, the time may be now for Nick Pivetta

When the Red Sox traded for Nick Pivetta last August, they immediately assigned him to their alternate training site.

That, in itself, was something of a surprise, since the Sox were regularly churning through journeymen and 4A starters on the mound on a nightly basis, and while Pivetta wasn't exactly an All-Star, he had already experienced some success at the big league level.

Surely, he was better than what they had on hand.

As it turns out, the Red Sox were doubly motivated to delay Pivetta's arrival in Boston. First, there was the matter of his service time. By waiting until the final 10 days of the season, they could realize another year of control of him.

But beyond the economic benefit to sending him to Pawtucket, there was also a baseball reason. The Red Sox wanted Pivetta to focus on some adjustments to his delivery while re-evaluating his repertoire.

Some six months later, it would seem they made the right call.

"I've definitely taken a lot of steps forward from when I was at the alternate site until now,'' said Pivetta after tossing two innings against the Minnesota Twins, allowing a wind-blown homer in a 14-6 Red Sox win. "I've worked really, really hard in the weight room this offseason, worked on mechanics, worked on how I deliver pitches, commanding my pitches better, game-planning better. So I'd say, (I'm feeling) a lot better. I'm in a really good position right now and feel really confident.''

Results aside, there was plenty to like about Pivetta at the time of the deal. He has a classic power pitcher's body (6-5, 215), a fastball that he can throw in the mid-90s and a competitive attitude on the mound.

What he lacked -- as so many young pitchers do -- was consistency. But that may now be coming.



And beyond the tweaks he's made to his mechanics and a shift from his curveball to his slider as his primary breaking pitch, Pivetta has made great strides with his approach. He's no longer trying to overpower hitters; instead, the focus is on efficiency.

"Commanding (my fastball) is now much more of a priority to me,'' he said, "(along with) attacking the zone, getting ahead of guys and putting guys away early. For me, it's getting back to my normal self and how I started my career - having that confidence, having my plan and sticking to it and going out and just being myself.''

Pivetta has formed a strong bond with pitching coach Dave Bush, whom he credits for aiding his turnaround. But Pivetta also praised the entire Red Sox organization, which has helped him adapt.

"The relationship I have with Bush is really good," he said. "It's a really well-run organization. The game-planning is really well done. They have a great weight-training program, an amazing training staff. So everything is tight-knit and has a purpose to it. And I think that's really important.''

The Phillies had shuttled Pivetta between the rotation and the bullpen, much to his dismay — as starting is his clear preference and the role for which he believes he's best suited. When the Sox made it immediately clear that they agreed and saw his future as a starter, Pivetta felt like he had finally found the right organization.

"It's always interested getting traded,'' he said. "I'm very grateful the Red Sox wanted me as a starting pitcher. That's really important for me, because that's what I value myself as. When a team goes out and gets you and they value you at the position that you think you value yourself at, it's important. It's a really big confidence boost as well.

"I can't say enough. I'm really grateful for the organization. They've handle everything really well. I fit in here really nice. It's a lot of fun for me right now. I can't be more excited.''

With four rotation spots spoken for (Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Richards and Martin Perez), Pivetta is in competition for the vacant fifth spot. Because he's out of options, he has a significant edge over Tanner Houck, another pitcher who wowed the Sox with his September performance. For now, it would seem likely that Pivetta will make the team out of camp while Houck gets the benefit of additional development time at Triple A Worcester.

All of which would make his time at the alternate site late last summer a worthwhile detour.