Nathan Eovaldi hits free agency

Phil Gurnee ♦ November 20, 2016 ♦ 2 Comments

The NYY designated old friend Nathan Eovaldi making him an interesting free agent in this year of very few interesting free agents. Eovaldi is recovering from TJ surgery and is expected to miss all of 2017 so any team that signs him would need to sign him to a minimum two-year deal.

I’m not that interested in Eovaldi as a starting piece, but if he was amenable I’d love to see the Dodgers talk him into a three-year deal and proceed with turning him into a key bullpen piece.  Eovaldi has teased as a starter but as the stats show he gets hit hard from the 4th inning on. 

Season	|	1stPA	|	2ndPA	|	3rdPA
2016	|	0.669	|	0.672	|	1.164
Career	|	0.674	|	0.694	|	0.887

Nathan never developed a changeup, but is still a three-pitch pitcher with his fastball, slider, and split finger. Before his surgery, he was still throwing 97 MPH.

This was his 2nd TJ but the first one came back when he was in high school and he’s now 26.  Of course, it isn’t my money but Eovaldi would have been my choice to turn into the next Wade Davis before the surgery, now who will outbid for his services in 2018?