Padres interested in RHP Nate Eovaldi
Credit: AP Photo
The quest for A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres is not over.
The general manager of the Padres is hell-bent on producing a World Series title for the city of San Diego.
Adding Xander Bogaerts and Matt Carpenter has strengthened the lineup for the coming season. Bringing back Nick Martinez and Robert Suarez was huge to solidify the pitching staff, and the Padres’ most recent addition of Seth Lugo could be pivotal in the team capturing a title.
Presently, the starting staff is led by Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Blake Snell. Martinez, Lugo, and Adrian Morejon appear to be the trio set to compete for the final two spots. The Padres may also elect to go with a six-man rotation to open the se—something they did successfully last year.
This grouping of pitchers is viable, but you get a sense the Padres are looking for at least one more starter.
The Padres were linked to Chris Bassitt before he signed with Toronto. Preller and the Padres are surely on the prowl for arms.
Nathan Eovaldi is the latest arm to be linked to the Padres. He is coming off a subpar year in Boston but was an All-Star in 2021 when he went 11-9 with a 3.75 ERA, a 1.190 WHIP, and a FIP of 2.79. The power pitcher struck out 195 that year in 182.1 innings for the Red Sox. He is capable of eating innings, and that is something the Padres value.
Nathan Eovaldi‘s market seems to be heating up https://t.co/bqluTVxUSc #RedSox pic.twitter.com/aNYtIcBlrD
— WEEI (@WEEI) December 23, 2022
The Padres could use his experience at the tail end of the rotation. Eovaldi has pitched for five different teams in 11 years.
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During the postseason, Eovaldi owns a 3.14 ERA and a 0.977 WHIP in 43 innings pitched. The Padres have postseason aspirations, and Eovaldi could be a force in October and November.
Before the 2019 season, Eovaldi signed a four-year deal for $68 million. Heading into his age 33 season, a two or three-year deal at around $10-15 million seems likely. The Padres are attempting to stay under the next tier in the luxury tax threshold. However, you get a sense it is only a matter of time before they find a player worth breaking their budget.
Is Nate Eovaldi that player?
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.