The free-agent class heading into the 2023 season is chock-full of starting pitchers with most being around their early-mid 30’s.
![mlb the show 17 operation sports mlb the show 17 operation sports](https://torontoguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/17966120_10102184723798001_6203852345033834648_o.jpg)
Now he’s the top dog in the rotation and he pitches every single game like it is Game 7 of the World Series, and I absolutely love that. Granted, 2019 was a rough year due to injuries but the past two seasons have erased that nightmare. It was one of those contracts that really split the fanbase but he’s more than repaid the Red Sox for their faith in him. At the time it felt like too big of a deal of an oft-injured pitcher who had only been here for a few months. I remember after the 2018 season when Dave Dombrowski re-signed Eovaldi to that 4-year/$68M deal, folks weren’t too thrilled.
#MLB THE SHOW 17 OPERATION SPORTS FREE#
Speaking of the 2022 season, it’s the final year on Nate’s current contract as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent once 2023 hits.
#MLB THE SHOW 17 OPERATION SPORTS FULL#
Luckily we’ll have a full season of Sale, a returning Nick Pivetta, and the possible additions of Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock to offer him support. Now that E-Rod has made his way to Detroit, the Red Sox will need Nate to replicate what he did in 2021 even more so next year. It’s not often that a 31-year-old pitcher that’s undergone two Tommy John surgeries, as well as, several maintenance procedures to keep his arm fully operation has the best season of his life. His 9.6 K/9 in partner with that 1.7 BB/9 played a big part in why the Red Sox came within two games of the World Series. To go beyond that, he led the AL in both starts (32), and FIP (2.79), while leading the entire MLB in BB/9 (1.7). He totaled an 11-9 record through 182.1 innings of work with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.190 WHIP.
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Still, this was Eovaldi’s best complete season to date and we should be praising him for killing it in each and every outing in 2021. Had the Red Sox finished the season out a bit stronger that could’ve been what propelled him into that upper echelon.
![mlb the show 17 operation sports mlb the show 17 operation sports](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5YjBQ3XEAAzYkZ.jpg)
As I said, Nate finished fourth and missed cracking the Top-3 by only seven voting points. Gerrit Cole finished second with Chicago’s Lance Lynn finishing out at the top of the list. Toronto’s Robbie Ray took home this year’s Cy Young, and rightfully so, as he was the best pitcher going on the AL side of the game. He went into this season with a few more reinforcements as we saw the returns of Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale, but for most of the season, it was the “Nasty Nate Show.” One of the few bright spots last year was Eovaldi as he went out every fifth day in a season that was lost damn near from the get-go, and gave it his everything.