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Eovaldi appears to be some sort of freak. Most pitchers who throw 100mph are freakishly tall, like Randy Johnson or Aroldis Chapman or Mat Latos. Eovaldi isn’t. Most starters dial it back and pace themselves. If you watched the All Star game, you probably saw a pitcher or two you normally see throwing 92-93 mph suddenly hitting 98mph routinely. I don’t think Eovaldi dials it back at all. He hits 99mph regularly, but I don’t think he could hit 104-105mph in a short outing. That’s approaching record-breaking velocity for a RHP. But that type of stamina that allows him to throw 98-99 that often is freakish (and probably why he gets injured a lot). In closer role, Eovaldi would probably be looking at 30 one inning appearances the remainder of the season. Counting warmups, that’s probably about 40 pitches per appearance. However, the Sox could limit him further by not using him in 3 run save opportunities, which are fairly low risk. Most pitchers can get 3 outs before giving up 3 runs most of the time. So, say that means 20 save chances. At my estimated pitch count, that means about 800 pitches this year. In the rotation, he would have 14 starts left. At 100 pitches per start, that’s clearly more pitches (1400, obviously). He’d get longer (and more consistent) breaks between outings, but throw a lot more. And as I said, I think he always goes full tilt. I don’t think closing will be easy on his arm by any means. But I do think it will be better off...

One of the bigger issues on Soxprospects is how infrequently they update their player profiles. Certainly no one would project any A ball starter as an MLB starter except the highest of draft picks with elite pedigrees. And Ward is in high A at 22, which doesn’t help his cause. Their projections for him should change when Ward reaches AA. And hopefully again after he makes several starts at that level. Whether their projections get better or worse will depend on his performance. And maybe it is time to promote Ward. He appears to have little to prove in A ball...

Dude, you are desperately fighting to put words into Eovaldi’s mouth. As far as anyone can tell, he’s never publicly said he doesn’t want to close. We have seen indications he prefers starting, and made up possible/likely explanations for it (which you immediately discredited for no apparent reason). But I have never seen anything of him blatantly saying he doesn’t want to close. And if I had or you had seen it, I imagine it didn’t escape notice from Dombrowski or Cora. I think EVERYONE would prefer he start. Dombrowski didn’t give him that ludicrous contract to close. While DD is notorious for giving out impressive paydays, even he wouldn’t have made Eovaldi among the highest paid closers in the game when Nathan had no experience in the role. But as he is off recent surgery, it looks like they don’t think he can handle the workload. This might be a situation where the choices are 1) Eovaldi in the bullpen, or 2) Eovaldi out for even longer, possibly all season...

Even with the Guardians getting Kluber and Carrasco back soon and in dire need of OF help, they aren’t moving Bieber. Bauer? Absolutely in the right deal. He’s expensive, has 1.5 years left, openly refuses extensions, and is reportedly a bit of a dick. But they are going to need Bieber for his cheap salary. Not to mention the PR nightmare of trading a second year pitcher immediately after he won the All Star Game MVP in front of his own fans. Justin? I assume this was sarcasm along the lines of trading for a top tier starter from a fellow contends..,

1. He really shouldn’t play favorites anyway 2. He probably likes giving them days off, something he hasn’t had a chance to do since Spring Training. 3. Which one should honestly feel slighted?

Which tendon?

A difference so slight it can be more than made up by including Tyler Naquin.

While dumping salary of a player about to be released doesn't save much, the Sox would need a LF. I don't like Sam Travis much in that role.

He’s pre-arb. Would you trade Benintendi for him?

And in case anyone cares or somehow didysee it coming, Tyler Thornburg rejected his minor league assignment. The next step is he will now get dumped faster and harder than me by that Providence College cheerleader all those years ago, thrusting him into a virtual tornado of despair and alcoholism-fueled loneliness. Ok maybe that last part was just me...

Or go all Princess Bride in the second half and yell out “I am not left-handed!!” and unleash the 125mph blazing thunder with his well-rested right arm...

I have health concerns, but then I’ve had them about Eovaldi for, oh, I don’t know. Just over 11 months now, I guess...

And he probably prefers to start. But I don’t think he ever “flat out” said he doesn’t want to close, which would contradict exactly what you said. Now MLBTR did say he told the Phillies he prefers to start, so those negotiations went nowhere. Now what he did flat out say is he wanted either Boston or Houston (his hometown). As neither asked him about closing at the time, we don’t really know what he would have said. (In fact, Houston didn’t talk to him at all, much to his disappointment.)

To be honest, I think Chavis becomes the less excusable of the two. If it helped Chavis get to the majors faster, that’s exactly the wrong message to send to young players today dreaming of a big chance. A-Rod? He was already a big leaguer (as far as we know) when he started. Yes he cheated at baseball. But at the end of the day, if that’s the worst thing he ever did, is it really so bad? He’s not exactly conning seniors or killing puppies...

Well if he doesn’t want to do it, he isn’t putting up nearly the same fight you are. And did he ever “flat out” say he doesn’t want to close? Best I can find is an article saying (not quoting) his preference during free agency was to start, which isn’t really the same thing. I have to think the Sox discussed this option with him and aren’t simply forcing him into the role...

Using that page, the Sox could trade Dustin Pedroia for all three of Mark Melancon, Jeff Samardzija, and Joe Panik. But they probably shouldn’t...

With the entire NL except Miami within 7 games of a wild card, there may not be as many sellers as you anticipate. Especially since 11 NL teams are within 2.5 games right now...

Closing track records are overrated. The Mets loaded up this off-season on pitchers with track records as “proven closers” and their bullpen is worse than ours. With Eovaldi, it will come down to his health. If he’s not healthy enough to start but deemed healthy enough to close, it might actually work out. But that does feel like a narrow window of health...

Gimmicks never work. Have those NFL games in Europe done anything for the league? Manfred has been the “pace of play” guy who missed the two biggest opportunities to speed the game up. Enforce EXISTING pitch time rules. And stop the asinine roster expansion that gives managers 14 man bullpens for a full month. Quit fretting shifts; hitters will figure that out on their own. Quit trying to limit pitching changes by suddenly forcing pitchers to face 3 hitters. Just don’t give them 14 man bullpens for a full sixth of the season. I’d also like to see the return of Sunday double headers, but that will be tougher to push past the MLBPA. Although it will go a long way to reducing the chances of snowed out World Series games in northern cities...

Former Sox farmhand Frankie Montas wasn’t one step ahead...

And his age, being just 28 at the time. He doesn’t get that deal at 31...

Actually Eovaldi’s career strike out rates and groundball percentage make him comparable to Roberto Hernandez, who did have over 300 career saves. His career K/9 is better than about 9 or so of the top 30 save pitchers since 1990 and his groundball rates are better than about 2/3 of them. I’d rather he start and the Sox get bullpen help, but people with access to his medical records and knowledge of his recovery progress seem to feel differently about his ability to do so...

Or from an influence perspective. I don’t like sending the message to younger players “Juice or Fail!!” But so far the repercussions of juicing are “No Cooperstown!!” Really not the message I want to be sent...

I think they’re asking Nate to close because they don’t think he can handle a starter workload this season. His desire not to close was possibly a negotiation ploy. While he’s paid well as a starter, his salary is currently among the highest for closers. Any team negotiating to use him in that role probably doesn’t go so high. In fact, given the experienced closers on the market, it’s possible some of his appeal as a closer was to pay him less. Otherwise why pursue Eovaldi as a closer when Ottavino, Britton, Robertson, etc. we’re all still available?

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