The Boston Red Sox need some serious help in their bullpen. It looks like Nathan Eovaldi may be the support that they’re looking for.
Yesterday may have been an off-day on the calendar but the Red Sox were still very busy. With the All-Star break and the trade deadline both on the horizon, the team is searching for answers to the many questions this season has posed. One of the most glaring holes in the Boston lineup in 2019 has been the lack of a closer but it looks like there may be a solution to that issue.
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Yesterday evening it was reported by NESN’s Tom Caron that the Red Sox will be naming starter Nathan Eovaldi as the closer once he returns from the IL. Nasty Nate has missed much of the season thanks to a pesky right elbow that required some surgery to clean up loose bone fragments. The early plan seems to be to give him reps in the bullpen to help stabilize the relief corps and if necessary he can take the mound to start.
According to sources, the Red Sox plan on using Nathan Eovaldi as their closer when he returns from the Injured List. https://t.co/cxrS0ZErV0
— Tom Caron (@TomCaron) July 2, 2019
I can see both sides of the coin when it comes to moving Eovaldi to the bullpen. We all saw what he was able to do out of the pen during the postseason in 2018. He may not have gotten any MVP honors but he sure as hell was in the discussion. So adding him to the squad out there may give them the stability they need and also give many of the arms added rest as he can eat up innings.
"“We’re not closing down the door of him starting later on in the season,” Cora said. “But I think for now, it’s something we’ve been contemplating for a while. And talking to Nate and Dave (Dombrowski) and the medical staff, everybody was on board.”"
The downside to moving Nate to the bullpen is that the Red Sox are still without a solid fifth-day starter. It has been a nightmare this season for Boston not having Eovaldi in the rotation and the cast of characters they’ve thrown on the mound have been completely ineffective.
Having Eovaldi in the pen as the official closer also gives the Red Sox the wiggle room to not have to get a closer by the trade deadline on July 31st. They absolutely still need to add a relief arm or two but they won’t need to closer by trade. This could also give Nasty Nate a chance to not burn his recently repaired elbow out as fast since the workload will be less. And with a brand new 4-year/$68M deal, Boston needs to make his arm last.
With two previous Tommy John surgeries and now a second cleanup surgery his arm has been through some serious trauma. Coming into the game in relief very well could allow him to preserve his arm and prolong his career. Alex Cora and Dave Dombrowski have both said that this is the plan for the remainder of 2019 but Nate could always be brought back into the rotation if the situation called for it.
"“We’re just going to kind of see how things develop, how guys perform. Acquisitions may be made,” Dombrowski said. “But as of right now, we’re looking for him to be part of our bullpen from here to the rest of the year. … That doesn’t mean we can’t change our mind.”"
This feels like a reactive move from the Red Sox to cancel out their lack of proactive behavior during the offseason. With Eovaldi in the bullpen, I think we will see a turnaround with the pitching staff. Nathan will be able to work longer than most of the relievers allowing them extra rest while he also gets to knock off the rust. The move may not be the most ideal but it very well could be just what the Red Sox need.