Rosenthal: Nathan Eovaldi in agreement with Red Sox

rsox34

New Member
Feb 23, 2006
39
Merry Christmas! Luv this news and luv Eovaldi! Now I can order my Eovaldi Shirt and Jersey!
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,841
Who could imagine this response when we went out and traded for the guy. Pretty awesome.
 

TimScribble

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
1,474

Happ is Yankees’ next pitching target. They didn’t want to go past 3 years on Eovaldi, who is a hero in Boston anyway.
 

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,430
Harrisburg, Pa.
I'm shocked Houston didn't give him the farm.

This is excellent news. Cora says his stuff is among the best he's seen, this backs up that statement.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,540
Happ is Yankees’ next pitching target. They didn’t want to go past 3 years on Eovaldi, who is a hero in Boston anyway.
If I could *shudder* paraphrase George "SiaS" Steinbrenner for a moment here re: Corbin and Eovaldi:

"''We understand that the Yankees must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by their failure in these transactions. Unlike the Red Sox (and Nationals), they chose not to go the extra distance for the fans in New York.''

* This post will in no way to come back to bite me in the ass. I'm positive of it.
 

Jefferson Durand

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 23, 2018
40
Somewhere on this forum, someone posted some very impressive advanced statistics in which Eovaldi was near the best in the league. If that could be reposted here, it would be most appreciated (I had no luck in my search).
 

JimD

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2001
8,681
This got posted in the offseason thread but people may have missed it so I am reposting.

Why two TJ surgeries won't hurt Nate: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2018/12/05/why-having-multiple-tommy-john-surgeries-won-hurt-nathan-eovaldi-value/Nr4yovlYMLM9riY0U6lMaL/story.html

Note the study cited that looked at the 93 "revision" surgeries and outcomes.
The results of Eovaldi's end of season exam and evaluation are really promising. This deal has some real upside potential for the Sox.
 

mt8thsw9th

anti-SoSHal
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
17,120
Brooklyn
I did NOT want to see him in Houston or NY and was afraid he would end up in one of those spots in a reactionary overpay kind of move.
I can't imagine a scenario in which Eovaldi headed to the Houston pitching rejuvenation machine and ever be considered a reactionary move. That would have been devastating.

I understand the reporting, but that kind of sounds a bit like sour grapes.
 

scout101

New Member
Jul 21, 2005
3
Saunderstown, RI
Gotta like this one. 4 Prime years at a fair price in today's market; proven he can handle this market and big spots, is a good matchup against the Yankees and Houston, etc. Also covers some gap years if Sale walks, hopefully keeps us from starting too much AAAA filler.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,017
Oregon
I hope this thread isn't one that gets dredged up in two years, when people are clamoring to get rid of that contract
 

sheamonu

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 11, 2004
1,342
Dublin, Ireland
Great news - look forward to watching him in London. The big question now will be the role in which he will be watched. There has to be at least some consideration to using him as a closer given the quality of work he turned in during October...
 

curly2

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 8, 2003
4,887
If he stays healthy, this should be a great deal. He always threw really hard, but the cutter has made him a different pitcher.

In my opinion, using him as a closer would be a waste of a guy who can throw his 98th pitch at 98 mph. I think one area the Sox may have to go cheap this year and in the next few years is the bullpen. They may have to hope Brasier is for real and Durbin Feltman is the closer of the (near) future.

Back to Eovaldi, he was really in the right place at the right time heading into free agency. He should also send his surgeon a very nice Christmas present. :)
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,759
Pittsburgh, PA
I did NOT want to see him in Houston or NY and was afraid he would end up in one of those spots in a reactionary overpay kind of move.
This really fires me up. Love it.
You always heard from him how deeply grateful he was for being given the shot he was given, and the trust he was given, and his admiration for the clubhouse. You kinda always knew DDbucks would be greener to him than Houston's or the MFY's. There's a point beyond which you can't take advantage of that, of course, but it means you can get to yes a lot faster if the numbers are close.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,240
Great news - look forward to watching him in London. The big question now will be the role in which he will be watched. There has to be at least some consideration to using him as a closer given the quality of work he turned in during October...
At most, I think there is roughly a zero percent chance they are considering him as a closer. Maybe less.
 

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oh and I just saw a Forbes estimate of Sox revenues, which they have at $453m in 2017, a number which has probably gone up. So it’s possible ownership has as few fucks to give as I do about these tax thresholds. They are winning big and making huge bank.
Its not the tax, its the draft choice and international signing money
 

dcmissle

Deflatigator
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 4, 2005
28,269
If I could *shudder* paraphrase George "SiaS" Steinbrenner for a moment here re: Corbin and Eovaldi:

"''We understand that the Yankees must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by their failure in these transactions. Unlike the Red Sox (and Nationals), they chose not to go the extra distance for the fans in New York.''

* This post will in no way to come back to bite me in the ass. I'm positive of it.
I think the world of Cashman. What’s right for them is not necessarily right for us, and vice versa.

I expect them to land one of Harper and Machado.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 2, 2006
22,345
Philadelphia
Heart delighted, head skeptical. I think its probably a bad contract in a vacuum but I love that he'll be back next year.

Pricing risk is hard in all endeavors, but especially in baseball, and Eovaldi has multiple kinds of high risk (accentuated injury risk given the two TJ surgeries, endurance risk given that he has never pitched a lot of innings in a season, performance risk given that you're pricing in a leap forward he made last year and hoping its permanent). While all pitcher commitments are obviously risky, Eovaldi is very risky. But fuck it, sometimes its about being glad to see the players you like stay in the uniform more than anything else.
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144
This is great. I wasn’t a fan of a $20m+ after what’s happened with Pablo and Hanley, but $17m is very fair.

Hope he is able to eat some innings. Maybe he found something in the postseason he can use in the regular season.
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
Love the deal. Now get Robertson or Britton. Hell, both.
Both would be ideal. Settle for one.

I’m genuinely curious if Porcello gets moved for prospects. A rotation of Sale Price Eovaldi ERod and Wright is still very good
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Both would be ideal. Settle for one.

I’m genuinely curious if Porcello gets moved for prospects. A rotation of Sale Price Eovaldi ERod and Wright is still very good
At this point, Wright can't be trusted to make 10 starts, let alone 25-30. Absolutely can not enter the season with him as the fifth starter. Trading Porcello is a backward step when everything the team has done so far this winter has been to maintain the status quo of a championship team. I just don't see it.
 

normstalls

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 15, 2004
4,486
I can't imagine a scenario in which Eovaldi headed to the Houston pitching rejuvenation machine and ever be considered a reactionary move. That would have been devastating.
Reactionary to getting their asses kicked by him is what I was thinking. Real happy with the way it worked out.
 

MikeM

Member
SoSH Member
May 27, 2010
3,049
Florida
At most, I think there is roughly a zero percent chance they are considering him as a closer. Maybe less.
I'd honestly guess the surrounding thought process that worst case they could still shift him over to cover the current gap at the end of our bullpen at a little more then that.

Contrary to some opinions in the offseason thread, I personally don't think a backup plan of paying Eovaldi $17m/per to be your closer is *that* much of an overpay (for us). Especially on a guy you really like and believe can be dominant outside the fairly huge question mark on whether he can actually hold up for 200IP a year.
 

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,084
He's a really interesting case. I mean the upside... you get a high end #2 in his prime for $17mm/year, which if he hits anywhere near his high end projections, would be absolute steal and really help offset the potential loss of Chris Sale. That's an upside case that I think is achievable if he's healthy. The addition of the cutter - with the strike throwing ability with high 90's and the curveball - is an upper echelon pitch mix. The downside is he get's hurt and never pitches again. What you have to try and figure out is the delta of that risk and the same downside risk with other pitchers. If the delta is small this is a steal. If the delta is enormous than this has considerable risk.

I think they know much more about the delta than we do, so I'm forced to think this contract makes sense as of today.
 
Last edited:

dhappy42

Straw Man
Oct 27, 2013
15,725
Michigan
I'd honestly guess the surrounding thought process that worst case they could still shift him over to cover the current gap at the end of our bullpen at a little more then that.

Contrary to some opinions in the offseason thread, I personally don't think a backup plan of paying Eovaldi $17m/per to be your closer is *that* much of an overpay (for us). Especially on a guy you really like and believe can be dominant outside the fairly huge question mark on whether he can actually hold up for 200IP a year.
You might not pay a guy $17mil/year to be your closer, but the fact that he *can be* the closer if necessary or on the back end of this contract is definitely a good thing.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,240
Both would be ideal. Settle for one.

I’m genuinely curious if Porcello gets moved for prospects. A rotation of Sale Price Eovaldi ERod and Wright is still very good

The news about Wright has been anything but good. Surgery. Made a few starts. Lengthy DL. Made a few appearances. More DL. More surgery. I don't think Wright can even be written in pencil as a contributor right now.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
I am having a super shitty day at work. Like the kind where the police and DEA are involved. This totally make my day. Love the deal.
 

Bozo Texino

still hates Dave Kerpen
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
11,730
Austin, Texas
I am having a super shitty day at work. Like the kind where the police and DEA are involved. This totally make my day. Love the deal.
I hope you’ll go into details about your day in a different sub forum. Woof.

Hope things continue to turn up for you.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
You mean for guys with a qualifying offer? Or is there a payroll threshold penalty I don't know about? [Which is entirely possible]
Yes, if they go more than $40M over the luxury tax cap, their first draft pick gets dropped ten slots. May not seem like much but that affects how much bonus money they're allowed to spend on their picks in the top 10 rounds.
 

OCD SS

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Contrary to some opinions in the offseason thread, I personally don't think a backup plan of paying Eovaldi $17m/per to be your closer is *that* much of an overpay (for us). Especially on a guy you really like and believe can be dominant outside the fairly huge question mark on whether he can actually hold up for 200IP a year.
I'm just reiterating a line from the Fangraphs podcast, but sometimes the most effective way to solve a problem is to throw money at it. In effect, spending money has become the new market inefficiency.

I’m genuinely curious if Porcello gets moved for prospects. A rotation of Sale Price Eovaldi ERod and Wright is still very good
I think the idea that Porcello will get traded is right up there with trading Pedroia. Not because they can't (as in Pedey's case), but because why would they want to weaken the rotation going into a title defense just to squeak under the penalty limit. If they're being truthful that they don't see the downgrading in their draft stock as that much of a penalty given where they'll be picking in the first place, then they should leverage their financial advantage to keep as many pieces in place given the depth this provides.

With most of the core still under control and relatively cheap, that extra depth contributed a great deal to this year's performance; eventually this will get sucked up in FA deals for the core, but the time to start moving players off the team is when they swing down in the competitive cycle, not while they're at the top (I would argue that doing so would hasten the team towards the down-slope of such a cycle).
 

Pozo the Clown

New Member
Sep 13, 2006
744
He is such a key piece. The excitement is so justified. Let's do it.
I wholeheartedly agree re: the key piece comment. I view Eo as an important a FA signing for the Sox this year as I did JDM last year.

Somewhere on this forum, someone posted some very impressive advanced statistics in which Eovaldi was near the best in the league. If that could be reposted here, it would be most appreciated (I had no luck in my search).
Perhaps this is what you're referring to:https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/nathan-eovaldi-is-a-unicorn/

Love the deal. Now get Robertson or Britton. Hell, both.
I concur, sir!