Free-agent pitcher Nathan Eovaldi agreed to a contract Tuesday with the Texas Rangers, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan, confirming reports.
The deal is for two years and $34 million, and it includes a third-year vesting player option, sources told Passan. Performance bonuses in the contract can take the total value even higher for the veteran.
Eovaldi has multi-role potential, as he both started and came out of the bullpen last season for the Boston Red Sox. He was Boston’s Opening Day starter, in fact, and finished the season at 6-3, with a 3.87 ERA and 103 strikeouts.
Eovaldi, who will turn 33 in February, broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011, going 1-2 with a 3.63 ERA. He pitched for the Miami Marlins, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays before landing with the Red Sox in 2018.
Last season was his fifth in Boston, and it was interrupted by injury. He left the active roster on June 9 with lower back inflammation and didn’t return till mid-July. The right-hander was 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 12 starts before the injury.
His best season with Boston came in 2021, when he was 11-9 with a 3.75 ERA and 195 strikeouts. His career high for wins (14) came with the Yankees in 2015.
Even before Eovaldi’s deal, the Rangers had remade their rotation this offseason. Earlier this month, they agreed to terms on a two-year deal with free agent starter Andrew Heaney not long after striking a five-year deal with Jacob deGrom. The staff also includes holdovers Jon Gray, Jake Odorizzi and Martin Perez.
Last season, Texas went in a different direction and added high-profile offense to its mix. The Rangers spent a combined $500 million on middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien only to finish 68-94 in the American League West.