Cleveland Guardians Could Pursue This All-Star Pitcher, But There's a Catch

Could the Cleveland Guardians try to land Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi?

Aug 17, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) throws against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians are in desperate need of starting pitching, and that is not going to change during the offseason. As a matter of fact, with injured ace Shane Bieber slated to hit free agency, the Guardians' need for more arms will only grow.

Luckily, there will be plenty of hurlers to choose from over the winter, and one pitcher in particular may catch Cleveland's eye: Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

But there is a catch to Eovaldi.

Eovaldi can become a free agent this offseason so long as he doesn't hit 156 innings on the year. Why? Because he has a vesting option that will kick in if he accumulates 300 frames between 2023 and 2024. Currently, the veteran is at 127 innings this season.

That means Eovaldi has to throw under 29 innings the rest of the way, and with about six-and-a-half weeks remaining in the 2024 campaign, it's going to be tough for the 34-year-old to avoid that number.

The Rangers have 36 games remaining, which means that Eovaldi has around seven starts left. He is averaging 5.7 frames per outing this year, so if he maintains that pace, he will absolutely eclipse the 300-inning mark and his option would vest.

Here's the thing, though: it will greatly benefit Eovaldi to not hit 300 innings, because he will be due for a nice raise if he hits the open market. The two-time All-Star is on track to earn $17 million in 2025 if the option manifests. Given how good Eovaldi has been in Texas these last two seasons, he would almost certainly land a bigger deal in free agency.

So perhaps Eovaldi—who went seven innings in his most recent outing—will aim to avoid achieving that 300-inning mark. Heck, maybe even the Rangers—who are in clear need of some retooling—may look to evade it, as well. In that case, it stands to reason that the two sides could come to an agreement to curb his workload.

If Eovaldi does end up hitting the open market, he would be a great target for the Guardians.

Eovaldi has logged ERAs under 4.00 in each of his last five campaigns, and he has a couple of World Series rings to his name. He has also been nails in the playoffs, going 9-3 with a 3.05 ERA across 17 appearances and 12 starts.

The Houston native does have a checkered injury history, although he has managed to throw well over 100 innings each of the last four seasons.

The question is whether or not Eovaldi would be out of Cleveland's price range. The Guardians historically don't spend a lot of money, and paying sizeable money to a pitcher who may have difficulty staying healthy may prove too risky for Cleveland's blood.