The Boston Red Sox have acquired right-handed starter Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for left-handed prospect Jalen Beeks, the teams announced on Wednesday.
We have traded RH Nathan Eovaldi to Boston in exchange for LH Jalen Beeks.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 25, 2018
Eovaldi started 10 times for the Rays, compiling a 4.26 ERA (93 ERA+) and 6.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio, as well as a 50 percent quality-start rate. The biggest issue for him has been home runs, as he's permitted nearly two per nine innings.
A free agent at season's end, Eovaldi and his mid-to-upper-90s fastball should assume a spot near the back of Boston's rotation. Chris Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello are all but guaranteed playoff starts. From there, Eovaldi could well find himself in the mix, depending on how he pitches and Eduardo Rodriguez's ability to return from his ankle injury.
In exchange, the Red Sox give up Beeks, a short 25-year-old southpaw who has pitched well in Triple-A. Beeks slots into the Rays' roster-building philosophy of adding long relievers who could, in theory, roll through a lineup once or twice before being yanked.
#Rays will give Beeks an opportunity to start or be a multi-inning reliever in their radical pitching setup. https://t.co/ftV2OUjz1b
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 25, 2018
Earlier this season, Beeks made his big-league debut. In two appearances, he's allowed 11 hits and nine runs in 6 1/3 innings.
