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Atlanta Braves free agent profile: Nathan Eovaldi

By Benjamin Chase

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Two of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 24, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Two of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 24, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
DENVER, CO – JUNE 3: Starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers to home plate during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 3, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

The Atlanta Braves are looking to add a veteran arm to their pitching staff. Could they look to the World Series hero?

While the Atlanta Braves have a significant depth of elite young pitchers, they are still searching for veteran pitchers that could offer “sure” innings for the team. Could the flexibility and raw stuff of Nathan Eovaldi make him a perfect fit?

Player profile

Fitting the prototype of the Texan flame-throwing arm, Nathan Eovaldi was drafted in the 11th round in 2008 out of high school in Texas. He moved quickly through the Dodgers farm system, reaching the major leagues in 2011 at age 21.

Eovaldi’s big fastball certainly played, but he struggled to know where he was sending his high-velocity stuff. Midway through his second big league season, Eovaldi was the primary return as the Marlins sent Hanley Ramirez to Los Angeles in July 2012.

After a year and a half with the Marlins, Eovaldi was part of a deal with the New York Yankees that sent Martin Prado to Miami. Eovaldi struggled with health in his two years in the Yankees organization, but he threw well when healthy until his elbow popped.

The Yankees released Eovaldi after the 2016 season as Eovaldi was recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Rays signed him in February 2017 to give him a home to recover from surgery, spending 2017 recovering before returning to the mound in 2018. He actually threw his first-ever pitches at the AAA level in his entire career as he rehabbed in 2018, having skipped the level in his initial ascent to the major leagues.

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