Red Sox acquire Nathan Eovaldi

[Kimmi]

but this is first time in his career that he's looked above average, and it's just 57 innings for TB, and he's been around a while. Hopefully it's the latest TJ surgery that made him better and it's not just the Tampa SP magic juice. Looking at his game logs, he hasn't been consistent at all. 4 dominant games, 1 other quality start (yeah I know that's a lame stat), 4 not good starts but maybe passable (the best being 5IP 3ER) and 1 horrendous start (against the team he faces next). All of his good starts were in very pitcher friendly environments (2@TB, 1@NYM, 1@OAK, 1@MIA), and only one of those was against a decent offense (OAK). As others have said, he reminds me of Joe Kelly, and that's about what I'm expecting. Hopefully I'm wrong and he helps lead us to a close division win over the Yankees.

 

I am hoping that the TJ surgery is the difference maker as well.

 

I'm not expecting Eovaldi to become the next Sale or anything close, but he doesn't have to be. He was acquired to give us some depth and to be the #5 starter over Pom. Is that worth giving up 6 years of control for Beeks? That remains to be seen.

 

I do think there's some upside with Eovaldi, judging by his peripherals and by what I've read about him. He's a right handed pitcher who has held RHHs to a .207 BA. That will be helpful against the lefty mashing Yankees. He can also pitch out of the pen if needed, which could be very helpful in the playoffs.

[notin]

Eovaldi is a good get for the Sox. One thing I’ll caution you all on after watching him in a Yankee uniform for two seasons. Don’t get overly excited about his stuff vs his performance. His stuff dictates that he should be an ace. Some games he goes out there and nobody touches him. But for some reason, he’s only that dominant guy in 4-5 starts a year. The other starts he’s a middling guy who falls victim to the homerun ball.

 

You know, he is still only 28 years old...

[OH FOY]

Inconsistent as I always remembered him. 1 game he could throw no-hitter, next game 5 HRS. Smart move BP down the road in play-offs. Use him like Astros used their Starters last year in Play-offs. Its not written in stone especially in Play-offs your a Starter.

[notin]

Inconsistent as I always remembered him. 1 game he could throw no-hitter, next game 5 HRS. Smart move BP down the road in play-offs. Use him like Astros used their Starters last year in Play-offs. Its not written in stone especiallly in Play-offs your a Starter.

 

No but having more options for a fourth playoff starter is a good thing, especially since we don’t know who will be healthy...

[moonslav59]

No but having more options for a fourth playoff starter is a good thing, especially since we don’t know who will be healthy...

 

Do you now feel like DD has addressed the starter depth issue sufficiently you have shown concern about since last winter?

[notin]

Do you now feel like DD has addressed the starter depth issue sufficiently you have shown concern about since last winter?

 

I am happier that he did it, as I said in some other thread.

 

And it only took injuries to 3 starting pitchers to make it happen!!!

[Jack Flap]

Initial reaction is that I'm good with that. Eovaldi should help plug the hole at the back of our rotation, and it may be that the Red Sox just weren't impressed with what they've seen from Beeks..

 

24 hours later, I like this even more.

 

It looks like we got one of the better arms available on a very thin SP market - and (not that this alone is reason to make a move) denied the Yanks someone they also could have used .

 

Time will tell what Beeks turns into, but I don't think he's someone we should exactly be broken up over losing. The fact that it's a 1:1 deal mitigates this risk significantly as well.

 

Good job, Dave.

[OH FOY]

Beeks might be facing Pawtucket in Pawtucket, in the Middle of August. That should be strange.

[moonslav59]

I am happier that he did it, as I said in some other thread.

 

And it only took injuries to 3 starting pitchers to make it happen!!!

 

LOL.

 

That being said, we were doing pretty well, even without those 3 guys, granted ERod has not been out for too long.

 

Figuring the season started with this order of SP'er depth( assuming all healthy which they were not), our 6-10 ranked starters have done pretty well:

 

1. Sale

2. Price

3. Porcello

4. ERod

5. Pom

6. Wright

7. Johnson

8. Velazquez

9. Elias/Haley

11. Beeks (Jumped to #9 during season)

 

4-1 in Johnson's starts (2.22 ERA as starter)

3-1 in Wright starts (4.13 ERA but 3 QS's)

3-0 in Velazquez starts (2.63 ERA)

0-1 in Beeks; starts (13.50 ERA)

 

Overall, we're 10-3 in starts from our 6-9 slot starters.

 

Do you think we've done enough for our starter depth with the Eovaldi trade, or do you hope for another deal for a starter?

[vegasbob]

I think the Eovaldi acquisition does make a real difference in the depth. Now he needs to perform to his talent level and prove it. Beeks was never going to be a go to guy under the pressure of a September pennant race, with big implications if you don't win the AL East. The Red Sox are not an aspiration team and neither is its fan base just looking for "getting a day in the playoff sun" . Been there, done that. This is a seriously talented team combining true veterans, developing stars and a couple less experienced players who can in fact win it all for the 4th time in the century's first 2 decades.

 

Each of our starters will have to go out 10-12 more times this year. The race isn't over. 5.5 games ahead can disappear quickly if DD or Cora or the players take anything for granted over the next 8-9 weeks.

[kenmeister]

When is Eovaldi’s first start for Boston?

[Fan_since_Boggs]

24 hours later, I like this even more.

 

It looks like we got one of the better arms available on a very thin SP market - and (not that this alone is reason to make a move) denied the Yanks someone they also could have used .

 

Time will tell what Beeks turns into, but I don't think he's someone we should exactly be broken up over losing. The fact that it's a 1:1 deal mitigates this risk significantly as well.

 

Good job, Dave.

 

Exactly. It's almost like Dombrowski faked out Cashman. While Cashman was trading for Britton, the Red Sox were trading for Eovaldi. The Red Sox need Eovaldi more than Britton. The Yankees need Eovaldi more than Britton. Bad job by Cashman.

 

While I like Beeks, I would trade him over Shawaryn, Groome, Houck, and Mata. So, the Red Sox acquired one of the best SPs on the trade market and kept their top 4 SP prospects. That's impressive.

 

The only thing that pisses me off: Brian Johnson is going to the bullpen instead of Pomeranz. Big guy Dave refuses to give up on Pomeranz......

Edited July 26, 2018 by Fan_since_Boggs

[Fan_since_Boggs]

When is Eovaldi’s first start for Boston?

 

Sunday.

[Bellhorn04]

Exactly. It's almost like Dombrowski faked out Cashman. While Cashman was trading for Britton, the Red Sox were trading for Eovaldi. The Red Sox need Eovaldi more than Britton. The Yankees need Eovaldi more than Britton. Bad job by Cashman.

 

You might be speaking a bit too soon on that. Cashman will be adding a starter. As for Britton, I think the Yankees are concerned about Chapman's health.

[vegasbob]

Exactly. It's almost like Dombrowski faked out Cashman. While Cashman was trading for Britton, the Red Sox were trading for Eovaldi. The Red Sox need Eovaldi more than Britton. The Yankees need Eovaldi more than Britton. Bad job by Cashman.

 

While I like Beeks, I would trade him over Shawaryn, Groome, Houck, and Mata. So, the Red Sox acquired one of the best SPs on the trade market and kept their top 4 SP prospects. That's impressive.

 

The only thing that pisses me off: Brian Johnson is going to the bullpen instead of Pomeranz. Big guy Dave refuses to give up on Pomeranz......

 

Is Dave making these decisions or Alex Cora? I'm sure they are discussing it first and Dave is just reporting their conclusion.

[d-money]

Yankees close to getting happ. Curious to see what Dave does after that. Is there another good BP arm available?

[FredLynn]

Yankees close to getting happ. Curious to see what Dave does after that. Is there another good BP arm available?

 

Meh....they need someone better than another pitcher with an ERA over 4 and an ERA+ of 101. Pretty average, though he would be in improvement over the likes of German and Gray, probably on the level of Tanaka. They get DeGrom and I would be concerned; not Happ.

[Bellhorn04]

Meh....they need someone better than another pitcher with an ERA over 4 and an ERA+ of 101. Pretty average, though he would be in improvement over the likes of German and Gray, probably on the level of Tanaka. They get DeGrom and I would be concerned; not Happ.

 

If the Yankees are done after this I think it would be quite acceptable for us...not sure they're done though.

[notin]

If the Yankees are done after this I think it would be quite acceptable for us...not sure they're done though.

 

The bigger concern is what Toronto gets. If they get a decent building block that can haunt us when our core is reaching free agency and becoming difficult to retain, it will close the gap between the two teams...

[notin]

The bigger concern is what Toronto gets. If they get a decent building block that can haunt us when our core is reaching free agency and becoming difficult to retain, it will close the gap between the two teams...

 

Ok less than a big deal. The Jays got Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney, who is now joining his fourth organization in 5 years...

[notin]

Meh....they need someone better than another pitcher with an ERA over 4 and an ERA+ of 101. Pretty average, though he would be in improvement over the likes of German and Gray, probably on the level of Tanaka. They get DeGrom and I would be concerned; not Happ.

 

Actually I would have preferred they got deGrom.

 

Getting deGrom would have made a more significant dent in their farm/future, and Happ has pitched quite well against Boston this year, which could be a huge factor in that last series of the year...

[Bellhorn04]

Actually I would have preferred they got deGrom.

 

Getting deGrom would have made a more significant dent in their farm/future

 

You really are a long-viewer if you would have preferred they get deGrom.

[notin]

You really are a long-viewer if you would have preferred they get deGrom.

 

You left out part of my reasoning.

 

If the last game or second last game is important, the Yankees can pitch Happ (0.84ERA, 0.94WHIP) against Boston and not risk juggling their rotation to get Severino or Sabathia against us on short rest. Eovaldi (6.14ERA, 1.23 WHIP) doesn't give us the same advantage against the Yankees...

[Bellhorn04]

You left out part of my reasoning.

 

If the last game or second last game is important, the Yankees can pitch Happ (0.84ERA, 0.94WHIP) against Boston and not risk juggling their rotation to get Severino or Sabathia against us on short rest. Eovaldi (6.14ERA, 1.23 WHIP) doesn't give us the same advantage against the Yankees...

 

To me that little contingency is kind of dwarfed by the impact of them getting one of the best starters in the game for the next 2.35 seasons.

[notin]

To me that little contingency is kind of dwarfed by the impact of them getting one of the best starters in the game for the next 2.35 seasons.

 

Unless the Sox can replace Sale, this team has a very limited shelf life itself...

[OH FOY]

I like who Toronto got. Wish we had Drury.

[dgalehouse]

Oh no. We lost two in a row. We are only 4 1/2 up. This is terrible. Everything sucks. Cora is an idiot. The bullpen is a disaster. And on top of that , the farm has been decimated. The cliff is looming. What else can go wrong ? This is doom. Doom , I tell you.

[notin]

I like who Toronto got. Wish we had Drury.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing this team add a 2B or a RP, but if DD is done making deals, it's not a bad thing...

[OH FOY]

Agree, I just think its not a total win for the Yanks. Toronto did good for a Rental. Drury might come back to haunt them.

[Kimmi]

Oh no. We lost two in a row. We are only 4 1/2 up. This is terrible. Everything sucks. Cora is an idiot. The bullpen is a disaster. And on top of that , the farm has been decimated. The cliff is looming. What else can go wrong ? This is doom. Doom , I tell you.

 

The cliff is definitely looming.

 

As for this year, the Sox are good to go.