Washington Nationals Free Agent Target Nathan Eovaldi Agrees With Rangers

The Washington Nationals could have used an experienced starter with Nathan Eovaldi’s credentials and experience in their young rotation.

Sep 17, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Globe Life Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

If the Washington Nationals had Nathan Eovaldi on their list of free-agent pitchers, well, they can cross that name off the list.

Eovaldi agreed to a three-year deal with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, as first reported by Fansided’s Robert Murray and confirmed by other outlets.

This means that Eovaldi will be returning to the Rangers, who he played for the past two years and helped win their first World Series title in 2023.

It comes on a day in which another top free-agent pitching target, Max Fried, agreed to a deal with the New York Yankees and the Nationals ended up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft after the league held its lottery Tuesday night at the winter meetings.

The Nationals had not made a free-agent signing as of Tuesday night, even though they have clear needs at corner infield and in their bullpen. Right now, Washington has a young rotation led by MacKenzie Gore, but the Nationals are hoping to bring in at least one veteran starter to help.

Eovaldi hit the market after he triggered a vesting option in his two-year contract with the Rangers that required him to pitch 300 innings to trigger. He threw 314.2 innings, even though he had injured list stints in both seasons.

That triggered a $20 million option for 2025, which Eovaldi declined. Texas president of baseball operations Chris Young said in November that he remained a priority.

The deal is for three years at $25 million per year.

With the Rangers he went 24-13 with a 3.72 ERA in 54 starts.

In 2024, he struck out 24 percent of the hitters he faced, his best rate since 2021 with Boston. He went 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 170.2 innings with 166 strikeouts.

During the Rangers’ 2023 season, one in which Texas won its first World Series title, he went 12-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 25 starts, with 132 strikeouts in 144 innings. He burnished his postseason credentials as he posted another impressive playoff run, as he went 5-0 in six playoff starts.

His postseason history is only part of the reason the Alvin, Texas, native, was in demand as a free agent as he enters his age 35 season next year. In the playoffs, Eovaldi has a career record of 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 12 starts. He also won a World Series ring with Boston in 2018.