OPINION: Texas Rangers May Have Made Off-Season's Best Free Agent Signing

The Texas Rangers agreed to terms on a two-year, $34 million contract with Nathan Eovaldi. Signing Eovaldi may have been the best value move of the Major League Baseball off-season, Jack Vita writes.

The Texas Rangers may have executed the best free agent signing of the 2022-2023 Major League Baseball off-season Tuesday evening.

The club agreed to terms on a two-year, $34 million contract with free agent starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.

Eovaldi was the Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitcher for the last three years. He finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting and 15th in AL MVP voting in 2021. By that measuring stick, he was a top-5 pitcher and top-15 player in the American League just over a year ago. In 2018, Eovaldi was the club's best pitcher during the Red Sox' World Series run, as he logged a 1.61 ERA over 22.1 innings.

Eovaldi battled lower back inflammation and right shoulder inflammation in 2022, limiting him to just 109.1 innings pitched.

Health could be a concern for Eovaldi, but the Rangers made a short-term commitment to a pitcher that has shown the ability to pitch at an elite level, and come up big in October.

The Rangers' deal with Eovaldi is low-risk and high-reward. If Eovaldi can come back healthy at age-32 in 2023 and remain steady with what he has been over the past three years, the Rangers acquired a big-time pitcher on the cheap.

Eovaldi is the final piece that transforms the Rangers' rotation from one of baseball's weakest in 2022 to what could be a very strong staff in 2023.

Check out the latest episode of the Jack Vita Show for more MLB offseason analysis!

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