Nathan Eovaldi was a hero for the Red Sox en route to the 2018 World Series. Now starring with the Rangers, he expressed regrets leaving Boston.
There's no question that Nathan Eovaldi is thriving with the Texas Rangers after signing with the club on a two-year, $34 million this offseason after his previous four-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, which he signed after emerging as a heroic presence on the club's run to the 2018 World Series, expired.
Eovaldi, who will start against the Red Sox on Thursday, July 6, has been a stud with the Rangers, posting a 2.64 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with a 10-3 record on the season. He's been one of the best free agent acquisitions of the offseason. Moreover, he's reportedly happy to be in Arlington.
That being said, there also appears to be some regret about having to leave Boston. As Eovaldi told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, he misses being in Boston.
Nathan Eovaldi on leaving Red Sox: 'I miss it here'
Here's what Eovaldi told Cotillo about the conflicting emotions of playing his former team, a club that he wanted to return to entering this past offseason.
"I was positive that I'd be able to come back," Eovaldi said. "We stayed in contact with everybody (with the Red Sox) during the negotiation process. We let them know other deals that we were getting, just kind of trying to make sure we kept that door open as long as possible. It got to that point where it was time to move on.
"Baseball is different," he said. "Whether it's going in a different direction or trying to pick up other pieces, things like that. We kept them in the loop with everything that we wanted to do and it was just unfortunate that it wasn't able to work out. I'm happy with where I am now and everything that's been able to happen. You can't always control everything. You just take what life gives you."
Cotillo also reported that Eovaldi was handed a qualifying offer from the Red Sox worth just shy of $20 million for the 2023 season, but the right-hander and his agents turned it down, expecting a more lucrative free agency market. When they then realized that market wasn't there, however, the Red Sox took the deal off the table having handed out money to Masataka Yoshida, Kenley Jansen, and Chris Martin in free agency.
That ultimately led to Eovaldi signing for less AAV than was initially offered by Boston to leave for the Rangers.
Of course, the irony for the Red Sox is that fans didn't want Eovaldi to go and, more pressingly, they could use the righty direly right now. With Chris Sale and Garrett Whitlock on the shelf due to injury and others underperforming this season, having a player with Eovaldi's experience and ability would be huge for a club trying to make headway in the loaded AL East.
Alas, there's nothing that can be done now. And again, Eovaldi is happy in Texas. Even if that's true, though, it's a tough pill to swallow that this split between him and the Red Sox didn't have to happen — nor did either side ultimately want it to.
