The Red Sox have added a bit more depth to their pitching staff, signing left-handed reliever Dana Eveland to a minor league contract.
Eveland, who pitched in 30 games for the Mets last season, is not your average minor league signing, though. A former failed starting pitcher who has attempted to reinvent himself as a lefty reliever, Eveland has legitimate upside. Last season, he tossed 27.1 innings for the Mets, posting an excellent 2.63 ERA to go with a similarly excellent 8.9 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 52.8% ground ball rate, and 3.21 FIP in the best season of the 30-year old Eveland’s career.
It’s unclear to me why exactly he was available on a minor league contract, but of all of Boston’s minor league signings, Eveland far and away represents the best chance to make an impact this season. Not only did he have (seemingly) sustainable success last season, but he also was particularly effective against left-handed hitters, who slashed a meager .241/.305/.296 against Eveland last season.
Considering that, Eveland fits an obvious role for the Red Sox, who have just Craig Breslow and perhaps Tommy Layne slated to start the season as Boston’s left-handed relievers. Eveland may have the highest ceiling of any of them, however, and it wouldn’t be much of a shock to see him break camp with the team, as this minor league signing ironically may be the best left-handed reliever on the Red Sox.
However, it’s worth noting that he wasn’t bad against righties either, who hit .216/.286/.373 against him in a generally strong season for Eveland. It’s not definite if he’ll be able to repeat that success, but all peripheral stats suggest that luck was not a major factor in his success. This is an excellent bargain bin signing for the Red Sox, who may have added a legit piece of their bullpen today at a very low price.