Rangers Re-Sign Nathan Eovaldi to Three-Year, $75-Million Contract
The Texas Rangers are bringing back a vital member of their starting rotation.
Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has agreed to return to the organization on a three-year, $75-million contract, Fansided’s Robert Murray first reported Tuesday. He had spent the past two seasons in Texas on a two-year, $34-million deal.
The 34-year-old became a free agent after declining his $20-million player option for 2025 earlier this off-season. Now, the veteran righty will earn $25 million per season through ‘27.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Rangers made a late push for free agent left-hander Max Fried before he inked an eight-year, $218-million deal with the New York Yankees – the fourth-richest contract signed by a pitcher. It’s believed they intensified their pursuit of Eovaldi after the talented lefty came off the board.
Eovaldi, who’ll turn 35 in February, isn’t the same flamethrower he was with the Boston Red Sox, regularly hitting 100 mph on the gun. Injuries have been an issue since crossing the age-30 threshold, recording fewer than 150 innings in two of his previous four seasons.
When healthy, though, he’s proven there’s still plenty of gas left in the tank.
With Jacob deGrom recovering from Tommy John surgery, Eovaldi operated as the Rangers’ ace over the past two seasons, leading a rotation en route to capturing the franchise’s first World Series title in 2023 – the second of his career, earning his first with the Red Sox in ‘18.
The veteran righty was a star during that championship run for Texas, pitching to a 2.95 ERA with 41 strikeouts in six starts, spanning 36.2 innings. He carried that momentum into last season, logging a 3.80 ERA and 3.83 FIP over 29 starts while striking out 166 in 170.2 innings – both his highest totals since 2021.
What was once a ravaged starting rotation overwhelmed with injuries now runs eight pitchers deep heading into 2025, including Eovaldi, deGrom, Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, Cody Bradford and Dane Dunning, as well as youngsters Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter – both of whom debuted in the majors a season ago.
In addition to re-signing Eovaldi, the Rangers also made a splash in the trade market late Tuesday night, acquiring slugger Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins for three prospects – infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-hander Brayan Mendoza.
Both clubs confirmed the trade via social media on Wednesday.
Burger, under club control through 2028, led the Marlins in home runs (29) and RBIs (76) last season while slashing .250/.301/.460 with a 106 wRC+ (100 league average) across 137 games. He arrived via trade from the Chicago White Sox during the ‘23 campaign.
While the 28-year-old righty masher was deployed at first and third base in Miami, he’ll likely spend most of next season as Texas’ designated hitter, with Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung manning the infield corners, respectively.
Offensively, Burger’s arrival further lengthens a Rangers lineup that already featured the likes of Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Adolis García, Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter.
Next on the agenda will likely be addressing the club’s bullpen, even after signing right-hander Jacob Webb to a one-year deal, as Murray reported Wednesday, following the losses of David Robertson, Kirby Yates and José Leclerc to free agency.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: David. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.