Rangers Make Classy Move for Nathan Eovaldi After Missing Out On All-Star Team

Nathan Eovaldi was not named to the All-Star team this season, but the Rangers are rewarding him anyway.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Globe Life Field. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Veteran starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is putting up one of the best seasons of his career this year. The Texans Rangers right-hander has started 16 games this season, going 7–3 with a 1.58 ERA and 94 strikeouts. Outside of missing a couple weeks due to injury, he has been stellar, and if he were to continue this pace, the 35-year-old would record easily the best ERA of his lengthy career.

Despite Eovaldi's strong start to the season, he was not named to the MLB All-Star team. Eovaldi has been named an All-Star twice in his career, in 2021 and '23, but did not get the nod this time, partially because he pitched Sunday and was thus not eligible to be selected as a replacement once he didn’t make the initial roster. Instead, pitchers Tarik Skubal, Hunter Brown, Kris Bubic, Garrett Crochet, Jacob deGrom, Max Fried, Yusei Kikuchi, Casey Mize, Drew Rasmussen, Carols Rodón, Joe Ryan, Shane Smith and Bryan Woo were the pitchers who ended up suiting up for the American League this year.

Though Eovaldi was not named an All-Star, the Rangers still gave him the $100,000 All-Star bonus in his contract, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Despite him not getting selected to the team, the Rangers are expressing he has played like an All-Star this season, and clearly feel he is deserving of that bonus.

Eovaldi is now in his third season with the Rangers, and remains a crucial part of the team. He helped Texas win the World Series in 2023, and is a key reason the Rangers have the best ERA as a team in baseball so far this season.

---

More MLB on Sports Illustrated

feed