MLB rumors: Red Sox’s Nathan Eovaldi to the bullpen for ‘Aroldis Chapman money’?

by Felix Pantaleón

Boston Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is looking at a big payday this winter. His work out of the bullpen during the 2018 World Series has some teams looking at Eovaldi as a reliever moving forward. The 28-year-old Eovaldi underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 when he was with the New York Yankees.

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One of the best arms on the free-agent market this winter belongs to right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

Yes, Eovaldi has undergone Tommy John surgery twice, with the most recent operation coming in 2016 when he was with the Yankees.

But his performance during the 2018 MLB playoffs proves his right arm good to go.

He made six postseason appearances during the Boston Red Sox’s run to the World Series title. Four of those appearances were out of the bullpen. None was more impressive than his six-inning stint in Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Whether it was as a starter or as a reliever, Eovaldi pounded the strike zone with fastballs during the playoffs, regularly hitting 100 MPH on the radar gun.

According to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, Eovaldi’s postseason run has some teams thinking outside the box:

Nathan Eovaldi is a hot commodity, and while there is a team or two toying with trying to sign him as a reliever, Eovaldi wants to be a starter. And that’s also where the money is. Now, we suppose that if a team offered him Aroldis Chapman money — five years at $86 million — Eovaldi might consider it.

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The Red Sox acquired Eovaldi before the 2018 non-waiver trade deadline in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

While Red Sox manager Alex Cora had success using Eovaldi (as well as Rick Porcello and Chris Sale) out of the bullpen during the playoffs, teams should think twice before committing to the 28-year-old Texas native as a reliever.

In seven MLB seasons, Eovaldi has made 156 regular-season appearances, 148 of which have come as a starter.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.