The Boston Red Sox went out this past offseason looking to improve their starting rotation.
Boston’s rotation was very solid in 2024. The Red Sox finished the 2024 campaign with the seventh-ranked starting rotation ERA in baseball last year but the club wanted to add more talent this offseason.
The Red Sox did so by signing former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Walker Buehler and acquiring former Chicago White Sox superstar Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox are in a great place but it sounds like they were close to landing another guy.
Former Boston All-Star Nathan Eovaldi was a free agent and he revealed that he decided between Boston and the Texas Rangers this past offseason, as shared by WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
“Per source, Nathan Eovaldi’s decision this offseason came down to the Red Sox and Rangers,” Bradford said. “There were six legit suitors.”
Eovaldi was great last year with the Rangers. The 35-year-old logged a 3.80 ERA last year to go along with a 166-to-42 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 170 2/3 innings pitched.
He was a phenomenal member of the Red Sox from 2018 through 2022 and helped the club win the World Series in 2018 and was named to his first All-Star team in 2021. It would’ve been nice to have him back, but the Red Sox are going to be really good no matter what.
The Red Sox will begin the 2025 season on Thursday against the Eovaldi-led Rangers and it should be a fun game