Chicago Cubs: Are The Cubs Interested in Nathan Eovaldi?

If you’ve been following the Chicago Cubs, you know by now that they want to acquire another starting pitcher.

The market currently, though, is a little clouded, general managers don’t know which teams will sell, and who those sellers will even make available, but rumors have surfaced lately that the Chicago Cubs seem to have their interest in one pitcher in particular.

A young, developing pitcher from the Yankees, Nathan Eovaldi. Julie DiCaro originally reported the Cubs interest on twitter.

DiCaro later mentions that the talks are in the very early stages and that a return has not been discussed. You’d have to think, given his year currently, and his raw stuff, and his age, it would be a couple of prospects, with a guy like Dan Vogelbach as the centerpiece.  

More from Chicago Cubs Rumors

• The latest Cubs rumors on the morning of the trade deadline
• Cubs could give White Sox badly-needed bullpen help
• Cubs trade piece Mychal Givens riding an insane scoreless streak
• Cubs Rumors: The latest on Juan Soto, Ian Happ and Willson Contreras
• Cubs Rumors: Mets, Yankees both have sights set on David Robertson

At first glance, Eovaldi’s career numbers are nothing that will open anyone’s eyes. Jake Arrieta‘s numbers weren’t great, either, that trade seemed to have worked out pretty well.

In his career to this point, Eovaldi has a 4.07 ERA, he’s given up 715 hits in just 675 innings, which is an opponent batting average of .272. For having velocity that can touch 100 mph, he doesn’t strike out nearly enough hitters, with just a 6.65 K/9 innings.

That is not nearly a high enough number for someone with his velocity.

Fast forward to 2016, though, and Eovaldi is really taking a step forward. He’s striking out almost two more batters more per inning, his opponent average is down nearly 40 points, his WHIP is the lowest it’s ever been, at 1.17. Eovaldi is well on his way to a breakout year.

Next: Arrieta takes on Kazmir, Dodgers

This trade makes sense for the Cubs, it would strengthen the starting pitching, which is already the best in baseball, and give the Chicago Cubs another young, cost controlled arm for a couple of seasons.

The raw stuff is there for Eovaldi, and he’s shown flashes of brilliance at times in his career.

If Chris Bosio can get his hands on him, that would only make him all the more dangerous, as Bosio has a track record for re-inventing some of the Cubs current pitchers…Hector Rondon, Justin Grimm, Jake Arrieta, the list goes on. At 26, and his value at the highest it’s ever been, it will be interesting to see if Theo will pull the trigger on his price.