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Nathan Eovaldi has been one of the Yankees' best starting pitchers since the middle of last season, so it's really no wonder that his name would begin to surface in trade talks as teams sort out whether they will buy or sell at the deadline. As the Yankees continue to hover around .500 toward the bottom of the AL East, other teams will likely express their interest in whatever assets New York may be selling.
It was reported Saturday night by Julie DiCaro that Eovaldi was drawing interest from the Chicago Cubs, but the talks were really just beginning. If the Yankees don't think they have a team that can compete for the postseason this year, then seeing what they can get for a player like Eovaldi might make sense. However, that would definitely not be the best move for the team.
The Yankees face an upcoming rotation situation that could result in Luis Severino being the only starting pitcher on the team in 2016 left on the team in 2018. All of the other starters can either opt out or have expiring contracts between now and then. Eovaldi is easily the pitcher they should most consider signing to an extension, considering that he doesn't have the injury concerns of Masahiro Tanaka or the inconsistency of Michael Pineda.
Eovaldi hasn't been perfect by any means, but he has shown a ton of promise after the disastrous outing he had last year against his former team. Is that worth holding on to? It looks like it might be, considering the total lack of starting pitchers hitting free agency in the next couple of seasons.
Unless the Yankees are just totally blown away by the Cubs' offer, it really doesn't make sense for them to part with Eovaldi. He's an important piece of the rotation now, and he should continue to be if they did the right thing and extended him. The options they have in free agency leave a lot to be desired, and the farm is unlikely to produce an entirely new rotation so soon. Keeping Eovaldi around at a reasonable price, even if it means supplementing around him, is the best move.
Do you think the Yankees are better off trading away Eovaldi, or keeping him around as part of the future? What kind of realistic return would it take for you to consider parting with him?