Rangers, Nathan Eovaldi Agree to Two-Year Contract
The Rangers have reportedly agreed to a two-year contract with pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, a deal that would give Texas six veteran starting pitchers going into the 2023 season.
The deal, first reported by Fansided.com, is for $34 million. ESPN.com reported there is a third-year vesting option in the deal and performance incentives.
The Rangers announced the agreement late Tuesday, making it official. To make room for Eovaldi, the Rangers designated pitcher Nick Mears — picked up on waivers from Pittsburgh last week — for assignment.
He joins a projected starting rotation that includes new starers Jacob deGrom, Jake Odorizzi and Andrew Heaney, along with holdovers Martin Perez and Jon Gray. The Rangers also have several other young starters that were in the rotation last season, including Glenn Otto, Dane Dunning, Spencer Howard and Cole Ragans.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Eovaldi. He was born and raised in Alvin, Texas, the same town where Rangers legend and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan grew up. The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Eovaldi with their 11th-round pick in the 2008 Draft out of Alvin High School.
Eovaldi has played 11 Major League seasons, most recently with the Boston Red Sox, where he helped them win the 2018 World Series and earned his only All-Star berth in 2021. Last year Eovaldi made 20 starts and went 6-3 with a 3.87 ERA.
Eovaldi spent a little more than a month on the injured list with two separate injures, lower back inflammation and right shoulder inflammation.
For his career he is 67-68 with a 4.16 ERA. His best season came in 2014 with the New York Yankees, where he went 14-3 and led the Majors in winning percentage (.824).
With the agreement, the Rangers will give up their third-round pick because Eovaldi turned down Boston’s qualifying offer before free agency. The Rangers also gave up their second-round pick to sign deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal.
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