Nathan Eovaldi to become free agent after declining Texas Rangers' player option
Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is declining his $20 million player option to become a free agent, a source familiar with the situation tells FanSided.
Eovaldi, 34, had signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Rangers during the 2022-2023 offseason. The deal included a player option that would be unlocked if he threw a combined 300 innings across his first two seasons in Texas. And after throwing a combined 314.2 innings, emerging as a crucial part of the Rangers’ rotation, the right-hander ultimately decided to test the free-agent market in search of a multi-year contract.
In two seasons with the Rangers, Eovaldi recorded a 3.72 ERA and 298 strikeouts in 54 starts. He was a key part of their World Series run in 2023, throwing six shutout innings in the clinching Game 5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also pitched at least six innings and allowed three or less runs in five of his six postseason starts in 2023.
Can the Texas Rangers re-sign Nathan Eovaldi?
The Rangers, however, remain interested in re-signing Eovaldi. In October, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters: “As far as [Eovaldi] and Andrew [Heaney] go, those are priorities for us. We love those guys. They helped us win a World Series. We would love to bring those guys back, and we’re going to explore every way we can to make that happen.”
In free agency, Jim Bowden of The Athletic projects Eovaldi to sign a two-year, $42 million contract. And Michael Wacha, who has similar career numbers to Eovaldi, just signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Kansas City Royals that can max out at four years, $72 million.
In addition to Eovaldi, the Rangers plan to pursue outside pitching reinforcements. They are also heavily prioritizing internal improvements to the lineup heading into the 2025 season, with Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim regressing in 2024 while Corey Seager, Evan Carter and Josh Jung were sidelined with injuries.