Every time Nick Pivetta turns in a good performance for the Phillies—hell, every time he throws a strike—it’s all the sweeter when you remember how he got here.
Jonathan Papelbon, for whom Pivetta was acquired from the Nationals in a summer 2015 trade, clearly wasn’t the Phils’ biggest problem in the four years he played for the team. In fact, he was good to great in all four of those seasons, making two all-star teams and racking up 7.5 bWAR. But as an expensive veteran closer for an aging team on the decline, he embodied the misguided approach of the front office.