Under the Radar Trade Target

[Loosey]

Over the last few weeks the Twins trade deadline needs have grown.  Going from a few lockdown relievers and maybe a starting pitcher to a front-line starter, a catcher and a few lockdown relievers.  Most eyes are on Frankie Montas or Luis Castillo as front-line starters.  However with the growing needs the assets needed to acquire everything is also growing both in quality and quantity.  Enter Nathan Eovaldi.  Depending on how the Twins plan to work this deadline he is a fit for this year.  He is a true 2 month rental and will not require the quality nor quantity to a Montas or Castillo will require.  Additionally, Eovaldi has playoff experience and has been in plenty of pennant races whereas Castillo may not even know baseball is played is played after the regular season having spent his entire career with the Reds. 

Eovaldi's numbers this year are pedestrian but are definite upgrades over the likes of Bundy and even Chris Archer and Devin Smeltzer.  And, if you take out his horrible start against the Astros where he gave up 5 home runs in 1 2/3 innings the numbers look very good. Even with that game he's pitching similarly to the way he did last year when he was an all-star and finished 4th in the AL Cy Young voting.   Trading for Eovaldi would be only part of the trade deadline moves the team needs to make.  But if "settling" for Eovaldi instead of Montas or Castillo is what allows the team to fill their other needs in the pen and behind the plate I'm all for it.  

What would a trade for Eovaldi entail is the biggest question.  Louie Varland and Cavaco and a PTBNL on the surface seems to be a good starting point.  Would Varland be a prospect the Red Sox have interest in is another question and is Cavaco anything more than future depth at the MLB level?   If so, this feels like a richer Carl Pavano type of deal that could pay short and medium term dividends. 

[Blyleven2011]

No one has ever mentioned evaldi  in acquiring  ,,,, 

I like it  because he has post season  experience and is a bulldog ...

What would we give up , if he is a rental , that is the question I won't speculate on and does Boston  figure to be sellers or fight to the end ,,,

We'll know at the deadline 

[ashbury]

I don't understand why Boston, still on the fringes of post-season eligibility, would be open to trading Eovaldi at all.  They don't care that his contract expires after this season.  And their rotation has been rocked by injuries.

Non-starter.  No pun intended.

[Loosey]

4 minutes ago, ashbury said:

I don't understand why Boston, still on the fringes of post-season eligibility, would be open to trading Eovaldi at all.  They don't care that his contract expires after this season.  And their rotation has been rocked by injuries.

Non-starter.  No pun intended.

My reasoning is they are 16.5 games out of 1st and 2 out of the Wild Card and it's a crapshoot for the final wildcard spot with 7 teams reasonably within reach.  They are likely to have to start a mini-rebuild/reload next year.  The thought process is maybe they decide their World Series chances are minimal this year so they work toward next year early since Boegarts, Eovaldi and JD Martinez are out of the picture likely after the season. Longshot, probably...

[jorgenswest]

It is worth watching how Boston comes out of the break. At 38.8% it seems unlikely they would deal but if that drops in the 20s it is possible.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, Loosey said:

My reasoning is they are 16.5 games out of 1st and 2 out of the Wild Card and it's a crapshoot for the final wildcard spot with 7 teams reasonably within reach.  They are likely to have to start a mini-rebuild/reload next year.  The thought process is maybe they decide their World Series chances are minimal this year so they work toward next year early since Boegarts, Eovaldi and JD Martinez are out of the picture likely after the season. Longshot, probably...

Another consideration is the fan base.  Unless the FO has prepared them, with little hints given to the local media either that it's time to wave the white flag, or that specifically Eovaldi is on the way out, the PR could be bad.  That fan base is loyal, and conversely not to be trifled with.

I took a quick look and the Globe has this article (behind a paywall so I saw only the first few sentences) talking about Eovaldi coming back to the rotation, termed as good news.  I do believe the FO would have fed the staff writer a different take, as background, to avert that messaging if the plan is to trade the pitcher two weeks hence.

[Loosey]

On 7/20/2022 at 11:24 AM, jorgenswest said:

It is worth watching how Boston comes out of the break. At 38.8% it seems unlikely they would deal but if that drops in the 20s it is possible.

Boston’s first game out of the break was…..not so great.  Unfortunately Eovaldi was part of the issue….

[ashbury]

50 minutes ago, Loosey said:

Boston’s first game out of the break was…..not so great.  Unfortunately Eovaldi was part of the issue….

At Fenway.  Imagine the mood as the game developed.  Sweet Caroline musta been something else.

[Squirrel]

9 hours ago, Loosey said:

Boston’s first game out of the break was…..not so great.

‘Not so great’ is probably the biggest understatement on the site this year ?

[jorgenswest]

On 7/20/2022 at 9:24 AM, jorgenswest said:

It is worth watching how Boston comes out of the break. At 38.8% it seems unlikely they would deal but if that drops in the 20s it is possible.

I don’t think it could possibly have gone worse. Maybe Eovaldi will be available.