Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) this morning that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has declined his $20MM player option for the 2025 season, making him a free agent. Young added that the club has “great interest” in reuniting with him this winter.
Eovaldi, 34, just wrapped up his second season in Texas. The veteran right-hander was solid but unspectacular for the Rangers this year as he pitched to a 3.80 ERA (104 ERA+) with a 3.83 FIP in 170 2/3 innings of work. Given that rather uninspiring platform season, Eovaldi’s decision to opt out may register as something of a surprise at first glance. A closer look to the right-hander’s season and overall body of work makes it clear why he would opt out ahead of his age-35 season in hopes of seeking what could be the last multi-year pact of his career, however.
An All-Star for the Rangers just last year, Eovaldi has pitched to a 3.72 ERA (110 ERA+) and a 3.86 FIP during his time with the Rangers. Those results are largely consistent with the numbers he posted during his final three years with the Red Sox, for whom he posted a 3.79 ERA (120 ERA+) with a 3.43 FIP from 2020 to 2022, including a dominant 2021 season where he was named an All-Star and finished fourth in AL Cy Young award voting. Those numbers cast Eovaldi as a solid mid-rotation arm, and his underlying numbers suggest he could continue to be a quality, playoff caliber arm even as he ages.
His fastball velocity (which averaged 95.6 in 2024) remains strong even as he enters his mid-30s, and he maintains that high-octane stuff despite boasting a 5.6% walk rate that stands as the fifth-best in baseball over the past half decade among pitchers with at least 600 innings of work. During his time with the Rangers, he’s tended to be a victim of high home run rates, thanks in part to Globe Life Field being among the most homer-friendly parks in the sport. That reality in conjunction with his solid 7.7% barrel rate with the Rangers helps to explain why advanced metrics like SIERA think so highly of Eovaldi, whose 3.88 figure over the past two seasons mirrors that of top free agent starter Corbin Burnes.
Of course, Eovaldi surely won’t come especially close to matching Burnes or the other top pitchers on the market this winter in terms of guarantee. That’s both because Eovaldi’s overall results (115 ERA+ from 2020-24) have fallen well short of that upper echelon of pitching talent in recent years, and also because he’ll already be 35 years old when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in February. While it seems reasonable to expect Eovaldi to earn a healthy average annual value, it would be surprising to see him land more than two or three years in free agency. That makes him a particularly interesting free agent as a potentially impactful rotation piece who may be more attractive to teams that tend to hesitate on lengthy contracts, like the Angels, Cubs, and Orioles, in addition to the Rangers’ aforementioned interest in a reunion. Sean Manaea, Nick Pivetta, and Luis Severino are among the other players who figure to occupy the middle tier of the free agent rotation market this winter.
Rangers will work out a new deal with him. Both sides are on the same page about getting a deal done.
Rangers have serious TV revenue issues. Inclined to take the field here.
We usually see fairly eye-to-eye on most everything acoss, but I’m siding with Jeremy here.
I think they could agree to something like a 3yr/$50M deal with a lower AAV to help avoid the luxury tax and backload a bit to deal with short term cash flow concerns. The Rangers need Evoldi as their 2/3 starter (especially because DeGrom staying healthy is a massive question mark).
No doubt I could be wrong Gwynning. A lot of teams are probably going clamp up and not open up the wallet this offseason.
I thinking the opposite, stuff might get crazy.
No way he accepting 3/50 as Cole opt out going to be 5/180 and he is not that much more dominant than Eovaldi entering his age 35 season. Heck Yankees would becwise to go 2/40 with Eovaldi and 6/160 with Fried and have a fantastic rotation letting Cole walk!
Eovaldi staying healthy is a massive question mark.
Comparing Cole to Eovaldi is insane. Cole is, and has been, significantly better than Eovaldi.
Almost always the odds favor the field. Perhaps a bit less so in this case, but eovaldi’s trying to get his last major bite off the apple here and texas’ payroll constraints could speak louder than vibes and baseball fit.
Acoss – Didn’t they say they plan to reduce payroll next year?
I certainly wouldn’t mind him coming home next season. He’s a big game pitcher, when he’s healthy.
And you know this how?
Just assumption from what they’ve said. Could definitely be wrong.
there seems to be a lot of quality pitchers hitting free agency this year… going to be interesting where they all end up… Yankees, Mets & Dodgers can’t sign them all… can they?
Yankees will avoid Eovaldi, that’s for sure… but I think pitchers with opt-outs are seeing a lot of big spending teams who need pitchers, including the three you mention, and are hoping to hit big with someone.
I think they also see a lot of mid market teams that are entering competitive windows (Orioles, Tigers, Royals, Reds, and Nationals) to complement the big market teams who need pitching (Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, Braves, Padres, Rangers, Astros and Giants).
Wiff – Why do you say that about Nate? His tenure with the Yankees wasn’t acrimonious as far as I remember. And he’s a better big game pitcher than Cole at a fraction of the cost.
@wvredsfan have a feeling it’s going to be a repeat of last year. You better sign the contract early. Otherwise you won’t have a chair to sit on this game of musical chairs.
You’re probably right
Would around town Rangers going to let him walk and sign Blake Snell and do nothing else but trades.
Mock trade
Rangers get
Ivan Herrera
Ryan Helsley
Michael Siani
Cardinals get
Sebastian Walcott
Ezekiel Duran
Jack Leiter
The jury is out on Herrera. And I would much, much rather have 6+ years of Leiter & Walcott than one year of Helsley. He’s terrific, but you can always find a closer.
Herrera is a good ready to play catcher. The jury is not still out he’s proven he’s ready to play. Siani cnt hit but he’s a gold glove defender in center. No you can’t always find a closer.
There’s plenty of closers out there and there’s an equal chance that Heslsley goes the way of David Bednar next year as leading the league in saves
Helsley throws 100. He’s not Bednar.
The number 1 reason the Vardinals outperformed their pythagorean and had a winning record last year was the bullpen and the best pitcher in the pen was Helsley. Ryan Fernandez was also pretty good but you guys aren’t getting him back lol.
your missing the point. relievers can be pretty volatile. THat’s why it’s generally not a good idea to over pay for them in trades.
It’s 1 year of control. And Helsley isn’t that volatile he’s in his prime and has always been good.
Who said overpay? You said that.
Word**** lol
20 million is a lot for him but I imagine he could get more years at a slightly less annual value. 3 years 54 seems reasonable.
So that means Cole who is same age is asking for 5/180 with his opt out clause. This basically tells me Yankees are going to let Cole walk!
Is Eovaldi worth 20 mil?
No but he might sign a 2-30 type deal
Spotrac suggests his market value is at $24.9M.
They’re Commies, trying to devalue the dollar……
@The Saber-toothed Superfife
Well, I miss the 1930s when ballplayers played because it was their job and didn’t cry about having a blister in their finger or they had a bad night’s sleep. If you can’t play, you shouldn’t be paid. If you can’t play, you should be off the team.
Didn’t know communists have moved on to private ownership of for-profit sports databases. Fascinating
Most fans are commies when it comes to sports. They always want a salary cap, a salary floor, and revenue sharing to make things “fair.”
That’s essentially a form of socialism. And i’m all for it.
@WiffleBall
Worst idea. We need no salary cap and make teams either spend for the market or be innovative to find ways to win without spending so much. I’m sorry if your team that’s always below .500 is never going to win a WS. Too bad for you. Find a better team to cheer for.
They’re sneaky little Hundans….must be very, very careful…..
Hun dan
Gun dan
That’s because MLB has a federal anti-trust exemption.
Here’s the thing. The television revenue is not evenly distributed like in the NFL.
If Morton and Giolito get $20M then Evoldi could get $20M on a 1yr deal.
Come on back Nate… all the free Chowder you can eat !!
AA will sweep in and sign him to a 3 year contract to become a Brave
I see this more than I want to.
More likely a two year deal with team option for a third season. Anthopoulos likes contracts with team options.
I like him as an Orioles target.
Eovaldi ans Efflin basically the same guy. They need something a little better and left handed.
Prediction: 3/$57M backloaded with a team
Wacha 3/$51 could reach 4/$72.
Eovaldi is older. Does he get that much?
Dodgers: 4 years, 75 million.
2025-2028 – $20 million
2029-2045 – $55 million
Dodgers don’t need him.
I would rather have them sign Buehler or Flaherty to that same contract.
Current rotation is 6 deep when you consider may and gonsolin coming back.
Knack and Casparius may be able to compete for a starting pitcher job.
And then theres Bobby Miller…
as we found out. 6 deep is not nearly enough. They need 8-10 starters.
Dodgers not getting either pitcher who both are 30 yrs old for less than 5/100 as a start point!
Buehler is worth nowhere near 5/100.
Neither is Flaherty.
I hope the Rangers resign him. We love him down here. 3/60 for sure would get it done. However, I bet the Rangers “try” and fall short.
1% chance the Astros sign him. (I’d say zero, but anything is possible)
He was born in Houston and if the Astros made him a decent offer I’m sure he’d be very interested.
I would not pay 20M for an average Performance. Good luck, I think you will regret the move. I saw you get bombed in Milwaukee. You do not look like 20M to me!