Surprising many, the Red Sox decided to give a qualifying offer to Nick Pivetta. Here's what that tells us about how they're approaching things this winter.

September, Pivetta – who is eligible for free agency for the first time in his career – said he and the Sox hadn’t had any conversations about extending his tenure in Boston.

The offer to Pivetta does not guarantee he will return to Boston and the door could still be open to an O’Neill reunion as well.