Rival Execs Express "Pretty Good Confidence" That Eovaldi Ends Up Here

Nate Eovaldi is the top name still available among the free agent starting pitcher ranks. Does this drive up demand and make it more difficult for the Boston Red Sox to retain their 2021 All-Star starter? MLB Insider Jon Morosi has this take on that.

The free agency deals keep rolling in. 🌊@jonmorosi stops by #MLBNHotStove to detail 3 of the names that could be next: Nathan Eovaldi, Brandon Drury and Johnny Cueto ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ul8lSQGEkx

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 20, 2022

I was chatting with some people in the industry, and there's still some pretty good confidence among a lot of people in baseball that he'll end up back with the Bsoton Red Sox.

Morosi explains that the qualifying offer is "looming large", and that it's become a "weight" attached to Eovaldi and some other free agents, which "reduces perhaps the overall value of that free agent... and so perhaps that nudges Eovaldi a bit more to returning to the Red Sox."

Boston made the $19.65M qualifying offer to Eovaldi before he became a free agent. It was turned down, but because of that, any team that signs him must relinquish a high draft pick to the Red Sox as compensation. 

Eovaldi, 32, has been with the BoSox for five seasons, posting a 4.05 ERA with them over 84 starts (96 appearances), along with a 1.27 WHIP and 9.1 K/9. He was a beast for them in the 2018 postseason, helping lead them to the World Series championship, working both as a starter and reliever. He was also the winning pitcher in the 2021 Wild Card game for them. 

He definitely has some other suitors out there, but at this point, at least, it sounds like he may be staying put. 

 Photo: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports