Boston Red Sox trade for Nathan Eovaldi

The Boston Red Sox have acquired righthanded pitcher Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays, a trade that helps bolster the back end of their rotation. In exchange, Boston is parting with 25 year old lefthanded pitcher Jalen Beeks.

Eovaldi, 28, missed all of the 2017 season, but has been a solid, if unspectacular, starter for the Rays this season, putting up a 4.26 ERA in 57 innings over 10 starts. For a Boston team that has lost Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright for the season, and with Drew Pomeranz being surrounded by question marks, Eovaldi is a guy who can help fill out the rotation and possibly contribute in the postseason, either as a Game 4 starter or in the bullpen.

Beeks was ranked #6 in the Red Sox system by Baseball America in their mid-season update, with BA describing him as a “depth consideration” who throw four pitches, but who is a fly ball pitcher without a “clear plus pitch.” A 12th round pick of the BoSox in 2014, Beeks has put up a 2.89 ERA in 16 starts for AAA Pawtucket this year, with 117 Ks and 25 walks, though there are questions about whether his stuff will play in the majors.

From the perspective of the Texas Rangers, this deal takes a possible destination for Cole Hamels off the table, though Hamels could veto a trade to Boston anyway. It also takes one of the various rental starters off the market, so teams that were interested in Eovaldi may have increased interest in Hamels at this point.