With Xander Bogaerts now committed to the San Diego Padres, the top free agent coming out of Boston is Nathan Eovaldi.
Eovaldi, on the open market for the first time since 2017, figures to be a point of emphasis for pitching-needy teams at this stage in the Major League Baseball offseason. The top starters, aside from Carlos Rodón, have signed new contracts and Eovaldi is in the next tier of pitchers who can be real difference-makers at a moderate price.
Where might Eovaldi wind up, should he leave the Red Sox? Keep an eye on the Toronto Blue Jays, who have “some degree of interest” in the veteran right-hander, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. Davidi reported the Jays also kicked the tires on Jameson Taillon and Kodai Senga, but they were taken off the market by the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets, respectively.
An obvious plus for the Blue Jays surely is Eovaldi’s four-plus seasons pitching in the American League East. The 32-year-old, acquired by the Red Sox ahead of the 2018 trade deadline, owns a 4.05 ERA with 468 strikeouts across 461 2/3 total innings with Boston on top of stints with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Eovaldi also boasts plenty of postseason experience, highlighted by his stellar showing in the Red Sox’s run to their most recent World Series championship.
Eovaldi previously expressed interest in sticking with the Red Sox, but it remains to be seen if Chaim Bloom and company are as aggressive in their pursuit of the flamethrower as other clubs.
