Nathan Eovaldi now knows where he isn’t wanted.
The Boston Red Sox pitcher told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford on Thursday the Houston Astros made no genuine effort to sign him last offseason. Having played an instrumental role in the Red Sox’s 2018 World Series triumph, Eovaldi considered just two options when he entered free agency: join his hometown team of Houston or return to Boston.
“Houston is home for me,” the Alvin, Texas, native told WEEI.com. “I would have had more talks with the Astros but they just didn’t want any part of it, so they were out of the question.
“It’s just one of those things where you accept it for what it is, it’s a business and you go on to the next. Both the Red Sox and Astros were my top priorities. They were my top two. That was our game plan going in. The Red Sox was where I ended up ultimately, so here I am.
“I was a little surprised it didn’t go any further (with the Astros). Really there were no talks. I was a little surprised by that. But I understand it’s a business and there are no hard feelings or anything like that. I’m happy with the deal I got.”
The Red Sox in December re-signed Eovaldi to a four-year, $67.5 million contract. He said at the time he chose Boston primarily because of the quality of the relationships he built in a short time with teammates and club officials. His comments on the Astros’ disinterest present a stark contrast to how the Red Sox approached him.
Eovaldi made his spring-training debut Wednesday in Boston’s 9-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins, allowing one run with one strikeout and one walk in three innings of work.
He’s expected to join Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez in the Red Sox’s rotation this season.
