Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Younger informed reporters (together with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning Information) this morning that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has declined his $20MM participant possibility for the 2025 season, making him a free agent. Younger added that the membership has “nice curiosity” in reuniting with him this winter.
Eovaldi, 34, simply wrapped up his second season in Texas. The veteran right-hander was stable however unspectacular for the Rangers this 12 months as he pitched to a 3.80 ERA (104 ERA+) with a 3.83 FIP in 170 2/3 innings of labor. Provided that somewhat uninspiring platform season, Eovaldi’s resolution to choose out might register as one thing of a shock at first look. A more in-depth look to the right-hander’s season and general physique of labor makes it clear why he would choose out forward of his age-35 season in hopes of in search of what may very well be the final multi-year pact of his profession, nevertheless.
An All-Star for the Rangers simply final 12 months, Eovaldi has pitched to a 3.72 ERA (110 ERA+) and a 3.86 FIP throughout his time with the Rangers. These outcomes are largely in step with the numbers he posted throughout his closing three years with the Crimson Sox, for whom he posted a 3.79 ERA (120 ERA+) with a 3.43 FIP from 2020 to 2022, together with a dominant 2021 season the place he was named an All-Star and completed fourth in AL Cy Younger award voting. These numbers solid Eovaldi as a stable mid-rotation arm, and his underlying numbers counsel he might proceed to be a high quality, playoff caliber arm whilst he ages.
His fastball velocity (which averaged 95.6 in 2024) stays sturdy whilst he enters his mid-30s, and he maintains that high-octane stuff regardless of boasting a 5.6% stroll charge that stands because the fifth-best in baseball over the previous half decade amongst pitchers with not less than 600 innings of labor. Throughout his time with the Rangers, he’s tended to be a sufferer of excessive residence run charges, thanks partly to Globe Life Subject being among the many most homer-friendly parks within the sport. That actuality along side his stable 7.7% barrel charge with the Rangers helps to clarify why superior metrics like SIERA suppose so extremely of Eovaldi, whose 3.88 determine over the previous two seasons mirrors that of prime free agent starter Corbin Burnes.
In fact, Eovaldi absolutely gained’t come particularly near matching Burnes or the opposite prime pitchers in the marketplace this winter by way of assure. That’s each as a result of Eovaldi’s general outcomes (115 ERA+ from 2020-24) have fallen nicely wanting that higher echelon of pitching expertise lately, and likewise as a result of he’ll already be 35 years previous when pitchers and catchers report back to Spring Coaching in February. Whereas it appears affordable to anticipate Eovaldi to earn a wholesome common annual worth, it will be shocking to see him land greater than two or three years in free company. That makes him a very attention-grabbing free agent as a doubtlessly impactful rotation piece who could also be extra enticing to groups that are likely to hesitate on prolonged contracts, just like the Angels, Cubs, and Orioles, along with the Rangers’ aforementioned curiosity in a reunion. Sean Manaea, Nick Pivetta, and Luis Severino are among the many different gamers who determine to occupy the center tier of the free agent rotation market this winter.
