The Padres signed pitcher Nick Pivetta to a four-year, $55 million contract in mid-February, bolstering their starting rotation with the 32-year-old right-hander. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Pivetta was selected by the Washington Nationals in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015. He made his major league debut with the Phillies in 2017. In August 2020, he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox, where he remained through the end of last season. Pivetta was a durable presence in Boston’s rotation, though he was sometimes plagued by inconsistency and an ERA that never dipped below 4.00. A fiery, intense pitcher on the mound, Pivetta has been dominant with San Diego, going 6-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 11 starts.
(Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
Baseball isn’t the most popular sport in Canada. Why did you gravitate toward it?
A: Well actually, contrary to popular belief, baseball is pretty prominent. There’s a really good league there. It’s called the PBL, the Pacific Baseball League. So throughout high school, I was able to compete and play in that. And then as I continued to move forward, I got the opportunity to play for the Junior National Team. So that’s kind of how I came up. And what got me involved is, I live not too far away from Layritz Baseball Park, and I would go up there and watch baseball games when I was younger. Being an active kid, it was something that I enjoyed doing, that I liked and I found ion through. So I just continued to pursue that.
Did you grow up a big Blue Jays fan?
A: Yeah, Blue Jays fan and Mariners fan, just because they’re close. But Roy Halladay was and is my favorite player. I think he’s the one that made me really fall in love with the game. And then also, you know, watching guys like Vernon Wells, Brandon Morrow, (Mark) Buehrle and stuff, just watching how they went about their day to day, like (their) baseball playing habits, kind of made me learn as I progressed.
Is Canada still home, and did growing up there shape you in any significant way?
A: Yeah. I’ve been grateful enough to be able to have the opportunity to spend a lot of my time in the U.S. because of baseball and college. And I grew up on an island off the coast of British Columbia, so it’s a little slower moving pace, but still has the Canadian roots. I’ve really enjoyed my time in the States. I’ve become accustomed to being here but, you know, I grew up where I grew up and for me, it’s a little bit different than even Canada. It’s kind of like its own special place.
You went from an island in Canada to Hobbs, N.M., a small town where you played baseball at New Mexico Junior College. Your head coach had never met you in person; he signed you off the recommendation of scouts. You didn’t know anyone. Was it jarring?
A: Luckily, I was given a full-ride scholarship to New Mexico Junior College. (Coach) Josh Simpson was there. Just being able to take that burden off my parents of having to pay for school was pretty big for me. And it’s my dreams, it’s what I want to go do. They had ed me financially a lot when I was growing up through travel ball and all that stuff. So for me, it was just about the full ride, and I think I was curious to see what was going to happen and see where it was going to take me. At the time, I didn’t really know if I could play in the big leagues or if it even was an aspiration. It was more about just getting into schooling and getting education paid for. But as I’ve gotten older, I really enjoy new situations and new people, and I find myself being able to be rather comfortable moving into those situations, because I think it’s just interesting that you’re meeting all these different people, but you’re trying to pursue and do the same things. You all have like-minded goals at the same time. So I never really shy away from those things. I more embrace them, because I think it’s interesting to meet new individuals.
You were lightly recruited out of Canada, but you ended up being a top prospect by the time the Washington Nationals drafted you. Was that the beginning of knowing you could bet on yourself, and did it give you a chip on your shoulder?
A: I wouldn’t say chip. I just think the way that I progressed throughout my minor league career, I was always doing well enough and better, and I was always consistently moving up. I was hitting all of those benchmarks — High-A to Double-A to Triple-A, a couple All-Star Games mixed in there. Just those small little things that kind of show you and back up that, “Hey, you could do something, you could be something.” But I continued to put in the work ethic, and it takes a lot of ion and a lot of grittiness and grind just to get to that level, too.
It’s good you like new places and new things because the Nationals ended up trading you to the Phillies while you were still in the minors. The first trade can sometimes be tough. Was it difficult?
A: It was very interesting. When I got traded, I was very comfortable. I had some really good friends with the Washington Nationals. So there was that little bit of an interesting period when I got traded over. But the great thing about it is I came over to a Reading Fightin Phils team that was just stacked with dudes, like (Rhys) Hoskins and (Zach) Eflin and J.P. Crawford and Andrew Knapp, all of these guys that were just really good baseball players … and had very high ceilings. So it was easy for me to show up to that team and just continue to kind of progress. These guys were really good, and they were on a really good streak, so I just stuck in there and hung out with them and continued to progress. And then got to know guys and got really good friendships. A lot of those guys made the big leagues with me.
Did you struggle early on, and do you look back on any of your struggles with appreciation?
A: Yeah, I went through plenty of struggles. I was called up and sent down quite a few times from year ‘17 to ‘20. And then once ’21 kind of hit around, I kind of found my feet. I think there’s a lot of ups and downs, but it’s, “What are you going to learn from those moments? How are you going to not let those define you, and how are you going to progress through them?” Because if you just focus and sit on them, then you’re never going to make it back and you’re never going to progress and get through those things. You’ve always just got to continue to challenge yourself and prove to yourself that you’re better than other guys.
You played in two intense media markets, first in Philadelphia and then in Boston after you were traded to the Red Sox. How did you navigate that?
A: It’s just part of the business. I just try to keep my space and keep my time to myself and try not to open up too much. I’m really focused on my teammates, what I need to do, what I need to do on the field, because at the end of the day we’re expected to win and do great things on the field for the fanbase and for the organization. So it was just, I’m going out there and I’m making sure I’m ticking all my boxes, working as hard as I can. And if I fail on the field, I’m very open and outgoing with, you know, “Yeah, I screwed up” or whatever it is, but I’m going to continue to try to progress and be better. I lay everything out there. I care very much about this game. I’m very grateful for it, so I never take anything for granted. I just kind of continue to do that. And if you just do that, the media kind of allows you just to be who you are, and you just do your thing.
In 2023, the Red Sox moved you from the starting rotation to the bullpen after some early season struggles. You knew you wanted to be a starter and said as much. When an organization views you one way and you view yourself and your career another way, how do you handle that?
A: I think it’s an exciting moment, too, at the same time, because it really challenges you. You’re expected to just kind of go in there and do what you do, and you really just have to put all the emotions and all the feelings aside and you gotta go, “How am I gonna help my team get better?” And if you focus on helping your team get better and you’re doing well, then you continue to progress, and then you kind of work your way back into certain positions. I was able to work my way back into the rotation, and that’s something I held my head very high on, is I was kind of backed up against the wall. When I went to the bullpen, I helped the team do a lot of great things in a lot of different roles and helped us kind of progress, and then I was able to (start again) at the end of the year and kind of allowed things to progress from there.
You were really good in the bullpen. Do you take anything from that experience into your starts?
A: Yeah, I do. I think the bullpen was a really big learning moment for me. Especially the second time around, when I was a little more mature and had the understanding of the total circumference of the game. I think it just allowed me to kind of figure out how to dig down in those moments to really beat hitters with my stuff and what stuff to go to. And then it really helps me when I get into a game and I have runners on second and third, no outs, or maybe one out, or first and second, no outs. I got to dig deep, but I got to figure out how I’m going to navigate this guy to give up no runs or one run.
What do you love about starting?
A: It’s my day to pitch, but also the game is in my hands and my control. I manage and dictate the pace and play of the game and how things are going to go. If I’m walking guys and I’m getting behind guys, it’s usually not going to be my day. But if I’m doing the little things right, I’m attacking the strike zone, I can really feel how the game would progress in the way that I would want it to progress. And I can help feed my teammates into the rhythm that I’m in and we can all progress together.
How have you personally grown and changed during your time in the big leagues?
A: In my career, there’s been a lot to navigate, from immigrating to a country to being called up and sent down to being in the bullpen and being a starter. I think the accumulation of those things is kind of the player that I am currently. And then as I continue to learn into my free agency and what that’s like being a team leader and being one of those guys, that’s kind of how I use all of those lessons, all the different circumstances that happened to be how I kind of changed myself and then allowed myself to succeed. And then when other guys come up, I help them out in those ways, kind of detect what’s going on in their career, their personal lives, and bringing my more personal sides to this. Tell them, “Hey, this is how I got through this. It may not work for you, but this is how I got through this.” Or “This is how I attack that hitter,” or “This is how I beat that team,” or “This is where I failed, and how I got through those things.”
You’ve been excellent with the Padres. Has San Diego unlocked anything for you?
A: It kind of brings me back to the ‘21 team that I came to with Boston that first year. It’s such a great core of players here and core of coaching staff and front office. They’ve all been here. They’ve all been winning together for a number of years now, and they’re all coming into their own as a team. So for me, it was just coming in, putting my best foot forward and just doing what I do on the field and then allow everything else to kind of naturally develop as the days and the months go on. It’s not so much about a one-year thing for me, it’s about a four-year thing. It’s not about right now; it’s about, “Where am I going to be in four years?” But it’s also enjoying each and every moment of this singular season of the start of my Padre career.
Are you super cerebral? Do you do a lot of reading and researching?
A: No, my wife’s the reader and the researcher. I’m just like a sponge sometimes.
Are you a big television and movie guy?
A: I do enjoy a good movie. I enjoy documentaries and nature shows, but I enjoy the beach and hanging out with my wife and my dog, and swimming. Just more nature and a relaxed mindset.
Is there anything you want to explore in San Diego?
A: One thing that I really do want to learn is how to surf. I think that would be really fun for me. I really enjoy the ocean. It’s starting to warm up, so I’ll probably go for a swim here soon. I think by the end of it, I’ll probably be an avid surfer.
Do you golf?
A: I do enjoy golfing. Me, Michael (King) and (Gavin) Sheets are the three guys that are golfing together all the time. Now Kyle (Hart) is up here, so he’ll be (with us) too. We’re the golfers of the group.
If you were to give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
A: Probably just don’t overthink things too much and allow things to naturally happen.
