Nathan Eovaldi Has Been The Best Signing Of The Offseason
Spending money is fun, but spending money wisely is even better. That's exactly what the Texas Rangers have done. I'm not going to lie, I rolled my eyes after 2021 when the Rangers signed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to long-term deals. I knew those guys were wonderful players, and I expected them to produce, but I didn't feel their prime years would fit into Texas' potential championship window. I felt like they were too far away, but Chris Young knew what he was doing, and the Rangers find themselves in first place just two years after losing over a hundred games. It's not like last year was much better, either. They lost ninety-four, but at least they showed some improvement. They've taken off this season, and Eovaldi is a massive reason.
Almost every big-time free agent signing/extension that went down following the 2022 season has been kind of a dud. Last year's free-agent class has been riddled with injuries and inconsistencies. As much as I'm praising the Rangers now, they did sign Jacob deGrom to a five-year deal, only for him to get Tommy John Surgery. It shows how good Texas' other moves have been that they can lose a pitcher of deGrom's caliber and still find themselves in the driver's seat in the AL West.
Eovaldi has become the ace of the Rangers' staff in his age thirty-three season. He's always been a strange pitcher. When you look at his career numbers, nothing stands out. He had a lot of injuries in the early part of his career and didn't really "figure it out" until his age twenty-eight season when he got shipped to Boston and became a postseason hero. He's one of the prime examples of a pitcher who has rarely had ace numbers, but he's always been capable of pitching like one.
You can't give up on pitchers sometimes. Having a history of injury will make any team hesitant to sign a player, but sometimes it is a matter of getting the injuries out of the way. I do not believe that a pitcher's stuff can improve after major surgery, but getting something like Tommy John makes their pitchers more aware of their mechanics. Stuff was never the issue with Eovaldi. The guy has had an upper 90s fastball his entire career. Consistency was the problem. What was his career ERA before getting Tommy John Surgery? 4.21, that's an ERA+ of 94. His ERA following TJS? 3.81, that's an ERA+ of 118, and even that is skewed because he had one injury-riddled campaign in 2019.
His 2023 campaign has been a revelation so far. He's put up career-best numbers across the board, leading the league in wins, complete games, complete game shutouts, innings pitched, and ERA+. Eovaldi has put himself at the forefront of the American League Cy Young conversation. Considering how devastating the deGrom injury could have been for Texas, Eovaldi has been more important to his team's success than any other starting pitcher in baseball.
Eovaldi has been the best signing in a disappointing free-agent class. Was he the best move that any team made following the 2022 season? That's up for debate. Luiz Arraez and Sean Murphy, two players acquired via trade, may have something to say. But in the modern age where 120 innings a year gets you a contract extension, it's impossible to quantify how valuable it is to have a guy on your starting staff that you know will give you 30+ starts. With the new rules benefitting hitters and encouraging my action, this season has really separated the men from the boys when it comes to starting pitching. Gone are the days when you could step off the mound eight times an at-bat and make pickoff attempts until the baserunner got bored. Make no mistake, Nathan Eovaldi is a grown-ass man and a Cy Young favorite.