The Red Sox activated Nathan Eovaldi from the 60-day injured list today, per The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham (via Twitter). Optioning Ryan Weber to Triple-A will be the corresponding roster move. The team announced the moves as well.
Eovaldi will step into the closer’s role, as has been the plan coming out of Boston since the beginning of this month. Eovaldi certainly has the chops to cover the back-end innings for the BoSox, but the decision was surprising because of Eovaldi’s stated preference for the rotation. The injury history, his success out of the pen in last year’s World Series, and the middling production from the Red Sox pen (4.56 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 4.35 xFIP) add up to a fairly compelling case to support Boston’s decision, however.
Ryan Brasier leads the team in saves with seven, but his recent struggles landed him back in Pawtucket earlier this week. Freeing Brandon Workman and Matt Barnes from regular closing responsibilities will lengthen the bullpen and give manager Alex Cora weapons to deploy earlier in ballgames. Given the scarcity of natural sellers in this year’s trade market, the Red Sox already sidestepped the long line of teams angling for bullpen additions by finding an easier get for their rotation in the form of ex-Oriole Andrew Cashner. Rather than mortgaging the farm to outspend the many of pen-hungry buyers, the Red Sox are hoping Eovaldi can settle a relief core than has been the worst in the majors by ERA (6.88) over the last month.
As for Weber, he made two appearances in this most recent go-round with the major league club, struggling through 4 2/3 innings of work. For the season, he’s made three starts and five relief appearances for the Red Sox, amassing 24 innings and a 5.25 ERA (4.31 FIP). The 28-year-old righty returns to Pawtucket for the time being, where he owns a 5.16 ERA this season across 11 starts.
Just picked Eovaldi up a few days ago in both my fantasy leagues. :)
The Red Sox aren’t gonna make the playoffs but Eovaldi is gonna be a good closer
I’m a Yankees fan I feel that they have enough talent to do so. They’re already closing in on the Rays. Hope it works out with him closing out games.
As an Astro fan ditto the red sox are far too talented to count out and we have seen teams go on a tear all of a sudden
We’re only closing in on the Rays because the Yanks have been beating them.
What’s the over/under on him being on the IL before Labor Day?
The author of this article should be embarrassed for publishing such wishful thinking false information.
Was he wearing a spaceman’s helmet this week during Cashners worst start as a Red Sox
It will be interesting to see if that elbow holds up this time.
I’m so happy for Nate to have a long n happy pitching life. Unfortunately any help from him can not carry the Sox, this is a lost season. With JD having bat problems it’s affected the team a lot. And Mookie’s having a luke warm yr tapping about FA, so sick of FA.
Check Mookies numbers again. They are not luke warm. Anyone would be proud to be leading the majors in runs with an almost .887 OPS and 130OPS+
is he? an article I read the other day said they may leave workman In that role to start
They may ease him in with Workman continuing to get some saves in the meantime, but the long-term hope/plan is for Eovaldi to own the closer’s role.
I’m not sure about the long-term plan being the closer. I think it’s for this year.
Speaking of Price, David has such a great start last night. The slide has just begun.
Cora has been incredibly clear despite media outlets calling Eovaldi the closer – Cora has stated several times that he is in fact NOT the closer and that they’re going to continue to mix and match.
Worse than the Dodgers? Hard to imagine.
Good thing they refused to pay a closer a big contract!
He’s not overpaid. Nathan signed the “DD blind trust for old players” contract.
Is he going to be able to pitch back to back games? Sounds risky to throw him in as a closer now.
Eovaldi stuck out the side in his sole appearance in AAA this year. Excited to see him in the closer role.
Hey bradbluefish-thanks for the research that points to a perfectly comparable situation. AAA teams are exactly as offensively talented as the MLB AL East teams.
You must be visiting the legal lot shops in Mass too much.
Fits…are you a disgruntled Sox fan or just trolling to the tune of four posts???