Sure sounds like Red Sox are giving up on Nathan Eovaldi

Nathan Eovaldi involved in trade rumors at the deadline

The Boston Red Sox have already started to sell some key contributors as they sit in last place in the AL East. Closer Brandon Workman was shipped to the Philadelphia Phillies, and arguably their best starting pitcher in flamethrower Nathan Eovaldi might be on the move soon if Chaim Bloom gets his way.

The Red Sox have discussed sending Eovaldi to the Texas Rangers, per Evan Grant. The Rangers, despite the fact that they are firmly in “sell” territory, will need someone to replace Mike Minor, who was sent to the Oakland Athletics earlier this afternoon.

Eovaldi, despite lackluster stats, has been one of Boston’s better starters in 2020

The main piece who keeps coming up as it pertains to Boston’s return in this deal is second baseman Rougned Odor. While he is one of the best power-hitting second basemen in the league, Odor is hitting just .216 with a .281 on-base percentage and a 76 OPS+ over the last four seasons. Eovaldi himself has an ERA approaching 5.00 due to his problems avoiding hard contact. Still, given the lack of quality in that rotation, he is still the de facto No. 1 starter.

With Workman in Philadelphia and Mitch Moreland in San Diego, the Red Sox appear destined for a major fire sale. Even if they’re unwilling to part with Eovaldi, who was a key member of their World Series champion team in 2018, for just one player like Odor, Boston has to start entertaining the idea if they want to accumulate prospects and replenishing their rotation.

Both Odor and Eovaldi aren’t playing their best baseball, but the key to turning both of their careers around might be sending Odor to Fenway Park and its’ inviting right field and flipping a native Texan in Eovaldi to a team that had had success with pitchers looking to rebound.