Red Sox Acquire Nathan Eovaldi From Rays

It took less than a full day for the Boston Red Sox to answer the New York Yankees, following the Bronx Bombers' deal to acquire left-handed reliever Zach Britton from the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night. 

Boston's answer ended up being the man the Yankees were supposed to square off against on Wednesday, as the Red Sox traded minor league pitcher Jalen Beeks to the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi Wednesday morning.

The addition of Eovaldi will allow the Sox to balance out a left-handed heavy starting rotation with a guy that brings good stuff from the right side.

The 28-year-old has made 10 starts this season, after missing all of 2017 and the beginning of this year recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 57 innings, he has posted a 4.26 ERA, .224 opponent's batting average and 0.98 WHIP.

Eovaldi, who pitched for the Yankees from 2015-2016, has pitched at least six inning and yielded no more than two runs in four of his last five outings.

With Eduardo Rodriguez still on the DL with a bad ankle sprain and Drew Pomeranz looking bad against an MLB-worst Orioles team Tuesday, in his first start back off the DL, Eovaldi will likely slide right into the rotation for Boston.

To acquire the righty, the Sox had to send Beeks, their 15th overall prospect, back to Tampa. Beeks has pitched to a 2.89 ERA in 16 AAA starts this season. He was roughed up in his one Major League start, earlier this season.

The move to nab Eovaldi obviously fills a need for Boston, but could also be viewed as a deal that blocks an attractive option for the Yankees, as the trade deadline nears. New York has long been looking to add another starter to their rotation, prior to the deadline.