Eovaldi welcomes new role with first-place team

BOSTON — Nathan Eovaldi wasted no time ingratiating himself with Red Sox fans.

That’s not to suggest there was anything contrived about the right-handed pitcher’s pregame remarks on Thursday, as Boston opened a four-game series at Fenway Park with the Twins. Eovaldi spoke with a liberation in his voice that often comes around the July 31 trade deadline, moving from a team in the middle of the American League East pack to the very top. [...]

BOSTON — Nathan Eovaldi wasted no time ingratiating himself with Red Sox fans.

That’s not to suggest there was anything contrived about the right-handed pitcher’s pregame remarks on Thursday, as Boston opened a four-game series at Fenway Park with the Twins. Eovaldi spoke with a liberation in his voice that often comes around the July 31 trade deadline, moving from a team in the middle of the American League East pack to the very top.

Eovaldi officially reported to the Red Sox and was put on the 25-man roster after a deal that saw Boston send left-handed pitching prospect Jalen Beeks to Tampa Bay. Eovaldi’s first start will occur Sunday against Minnesota, as the 28-year-old takes the ball for a fifth different organization. The standard he hopes to meet with the Red Sox was crystal clear from the moment he finished his first bullpen session.

“It’s about how you finish, and you want to finish on the highest note possible,” Eovaldi said. “Coming here with the Red Sox, that’s winning the World Series.”

Eovaldi marks the second player acquired by Boston before the Tuesday non-waiver deadline, joining first baseman Steve Pearce. He provides immediate depth to a Red Sox rotation absent left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (right ankle) and knuckleballer Steven Wright (left knee inflammation), who both remain on the disabled list. Eovaldi pitched to a 4.26 earned-run average and 0.98 WHIP through 10 starts with the Rays this season.

“He was a guy who we felt, the way he was throwing the ball, could help us out,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It was a name that’s been [out there] for a while now.”

Eovaldi underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in August 2016. Tampa signed him to a one-year deal following his release from the Yankees and allowed him to further experiment with an altered pitch mix. Eovaldi dropped his changeup in favor of a cut-fastball he throws 28.1 percent of the time and a split-fingered fastball he throws 14.7 percent of the time.

“Usage of his secondary pitches has been great,” Cora said. “We feel good about him. We feel that he’s going to help us to what we’re going to try to accomplish.”

“I’ve been using a cutter more since I came back from my recent injury and I’ve had a lot of success with it,” Eovaldi said. “I’ve been able to elevate up in the zone as well.”

Eovaldi’s bread-and-butter is a fastball that averages 97 mph this season, a tick above the 95.9 mph he averages on the pitch for his career. Opposing hitters swing and miss at 11 percent of the strikes he throws, a career best. Eovaldi’s strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 6.63, fifth in the big leagues among pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings this season.

“We were emphasizing strike one and working ahead in the count,” Eovaldi said. “It’s hard for a batter to step in the box and hit the first pitch thrown. I try to take that perspective, try to work ahead from the first pitch on and stay in control of the counts.”

The temptation to peek ahead finds Eovaldi in a potential postseason bullpen role, capable of throwing multiple innings at a time and rubbing out opposing hitters. As the bench coach for the Astros last season, Cora watched three of the club’s starters turn in significant relief efforts while clinching a playoff series. Justin Verlander (2 2/3 innings, Game 4 of the A.L. Division Series), Lance McCullers (4 innings, Game 7 of the A.L. Championship Series) and Charlie Morton (4 innings, Game 7 of the World Series) each had a hand in putting away the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, respectively.

“‘Hey, man, you’re killing me with this whole starters becoming relievers,’” Cora said in a recent conversation with Houston manager A.J. Hinch. “And he’s like, ‘If people only knew that we didn’t want it that way — but it happened.’ It is a good option.”

— bkoch@providencejournal.com 

On Twitter: @BillKoch25