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New York Yankees Rumors: Three free agents that should be avoided

By Paul Ashley

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 05: Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his 2nd inning 2-run homer in game two of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 5, 2018 in in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 05: Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his 2nd inning 2-run homer in game two of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 5, 2018 in in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 23: Nathan Eovvaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox reacts during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game One of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

A former starting pitcher for the New York Yankees returned to the mound in 2018 after missing the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery.  During this return, he also made his postseason debut and played a large role in the Boston Red Sox winning the 2018 World Series.

Nathan Eovaldi had an incredible debut in the postseason for the Boston Red Sox last season.  Through 6 games pitched (2 starts), he compiled 22.1 innings pitched while allowing only 15 hits, 3 walks, and 4 earned runs.  This performance helped him earn a 2-1 record with a 1.61 ERA and a 0.806 WHIP.

Even though Eovaldi was extremely valuable in the postseason, he was an average pitcher for the Yankees during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.  During this time, he pitched in 51 games (48 starts) while compiling a 4.45 ERA, a 4.11 FIP, and a 1.387 WHIP.  In these 279.0 innings pitched, he allowed 298 hits and 89 walks while only putting together 218 strikeouts.

However, he did improve on these numbers upon his return last season.  During the 2018 regular season, Eovaldi pitched in 22 games (21 starts) between his time with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Red Sox.  In this time, he put together a 3.81 ERA, a 3.60 FIP, and a 1.126 WHIP through 111.0 innings pitched.  Although his 2018 numbers were superior to the numbers he compiled during his time with the Yankees, signing Eovaldi would likely not end well, and A.J. Burnett serves as a reminder.

During three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Burnett put together a 3.94 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and a 1.284 WHIP through 522.2 innings pitched.  This caused the Yankees to offer him a 5 year, $82.5 million contract ahead of the 2009 season.  Although the contract is likely worth it to the front office as Burnett played a key role in the Yankees winning a World Series in 2009, he was not much help after that.

During his three seasons in the Bronx, Burnett put together a 4.79 ERA, a 4.63 FIP, and a 1.447 WHIP through 584.0 innings pitched.  Due to this, his $16.5 million per year contract quickly became a financial liability as he was often chased early from his starts.  This caused the Yankees to trade him to the Pittsburgh Pirates while still paying roughly $9 million per year through the end of his contract.

Nonetheless, as Eovaldi likely to end up with a 4 or 5-year contract in the range of $60 to $80 million, this situation could play out once again for the Yankees.  Although the Yankees are better off being stuck with high salaries in the short-term before players like Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, and Miguel Andujar reach free agency, it is better to steer away from questionable signings.  This will help the Yankees in the long run instead of having to once again wait out contracts to reset luxury tax penalties once again in the near future.

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