This has been a season to forget for veteran right-hander Ivan Nova, whom the White Sox acquired from the Pirates last winter to competently soak up innings. It wasn’t an unreasonable expectation on Chicago’s part that Nova would provide its rotation with some much-needed stability. After all, Nova was coming off three straight seasons in which he amassed 160-plus frames and recorded an ERA in the low fours. That type of production would’ve been welcome for this year’s White Sox, who have gotten very little from any starter except Lucas Giolito. That includes the 32-year-old Nova, their leader in starts (21) and innings (119 2/3).
Even after firing a one-run complete game against the Marlins on Monday, Nova has only managed a 5.49 ERA/5.34 FIP this season. And yet, despite the immense difficulties Nova has encountered in 2019, he seems to be garnering interest from elsewhere with the trade deadline a week away. “Many scouts” have been “looking at” the struggling Nova, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, while Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times also identifies him as a potential trade chip.
When it comes to starters, pitchers the caliber of Madison Bumgarner, Trevor Bauer and Marcus Stroman tend to monopolize the headlines at this time of year. Back-end innings eaters do have value to teams pushing for playoff spots, though, which could make Nova movable for the White Sox. The problem is that the 2019 version of Nova hasn’t fit the bill. Even looking past Nova’s shoddy run prevention, there isn’t much to like aside from a low walk rate (2.33 BB/9) and a solid groundball percentage (47.0). His home run-to-fly ball rate, 19.5, ranks fifth worst among 75 qualified starters. His strikeout rate, 5.79 per nine, sits third from the bottom. Furthermore, just 14 starters have posted a worse swinging-strike rate (9.0 percent).
Statcast doesn’t care for the Chicago iteration of Nova, either. In fact, he doesn’t check in any better than the majors’ 37th percentile in mean fastball velocity (92.3 mph), strikeout percentage, exit velocity, hard-hit rate against, expected batting average, expected slugging percentage or expected weighted on-base average. While Nova’s .357 xwOBA is better than the J.D. Martinez-esque .370 real wOBA that hitters have pummeled him for, it’s not by much.
Based on what Nova has done this year, the soon-to-be free agent doesn’t appear capable of boosting anyone’s rotation down the stretch. But could he aid a team in a relief role? It doesn’t look like it. Batters have smacked Nova for a .361 wOBA the first time through the order, with righties (.367) and lefties (.365) abusing him to near-matching degrees. Nova also isn’t cheap – he’s making $8.5MM, roughly $3MM of which is still on the way – so Chicago will likely have to eat most or all of his salary to have any hope of dealing him. Even if the White Sox do that, they may have trouble finding a taker.
White Sox mouthpieces are really working overtime this week.
Just hope the Brewers or Cardinals don’t trade for him. He is kind of a Cub Killer
Yeah go figure. Cubs can’t hit Nova and yet they wipe the floor with Giolito.
Pirates could use a starting pitcher..
Oh wait they dumped him for nothing and never filled the hole.. Typical.
So what’s the point of this rumor if Nova isn’t a trade candidate?!
Cause there is no trades to report. Man the weekend is gonna be really busy I feel. They gotta start moving around soon.
TIL: Ivan Nova is still in the majors.
He isn’t worth a thing. Unless they want to trade him for someone else that needs a change of scenery.
His starts against NL teams have been good to great, with his recent complete game coming against a NL team. It wouldn’t take much to get him, a lottery pick type prospect or something along those lines.
Better get him to a new team before the White Sox wear those throwbacks again!
Only way Nova gets traded and brings back any value is as part of package deal otherwise Colome and a third player like Garcia.
Hey if your the Dodgers or Astros and have control of your division adding a Nova fairly cheap makes sense. If you can reduce the work load on your top 3 in August and September.
Exactly. A playoff lock team could take on 1mil for him to eat innings/preserve its important arms. That’s likely max value. A team that needs to win with rotation injuries is in trouble if he is seen as the solution.
A bag of balls, do I hear a bag of balls? TWO bags of balls! Can I get three bags for this used, like new, no.5 starter?
Nova could make sense for a team sitting on the bubble with a record around .500. Teams that aren’t looking to go all in on the top names but that see an opportunity to buy a couple wins and a chance at the second wildcard.
Better to have resigned tough luck and never injured Chris Volstad who has a 4.30 xFIP to soak up those innings. Would have cost only a $1M or less.
The Sox would have to pay to get rid of Nova. NO ONE, is going to take him. I can hear the phone call now from Hahn… Yes.. We are offering you Nova. I know his numbers are bad… But… Oh you want us pay all his remaining salary??? And, I have to give you Arron Bummer before you accept? What do the Sox get back? Oh, nothing, cause your doing me a favor, since my pro scouts can’t realize when a player is a bust? ….
Like another poster notes, this is one of the Sox’s media mouthpieces trying to garner potential interest.
Ivan… STEP AWAY from the buffet line!
Hahn will trade for prospects. Nova will be traded to a contending team, Also Hahn will trade the Colome , the closer. He does that every year. But I guess as the team is in his five year plan.
I will drive him to whatever town rids WS of him
As much as I would love to see him get traded, I can’t see him getting traded. No team is going to eat anything more than the minimum and no team is going to give up any more than minor league filler. The only thing that would make sense for a team to trade for Nova is to get rid of a bad contract in return, and it would be stupid for the Sox to take on an even worse contract just to get rid of an overpaid pitcher they will have for just 2 more months.
His CG the other day gave him something that faintly resembled a pulse in the trade market. He would have to duplicate that for there to be any prayer of him getting moved. I don’t see it.
Nova shut down the Twins today!
2 hitter 6 innings. 0 ER.
He will be traded for more than a bag of balls.