Who Got The Better Deal? Eovaldi To The Red Sox or The Yankees Adding Happ?

Within the past 24 hours, both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have added starting pitchers.

Yesterday, the Bosox acquired Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays for top pitching prospect Jalen Beeks. The Bronx Bombers matched this move by obtaining southpaw J.A. Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays for third baseman Brandon Drury and outfield prospect Billy McKinney.

Who got the better deal?

I'd call it fairly even. Eovaldi returned to the bigs earlier this season after missing all of 2017 recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. In 10 starts with the Rays, Eovaldi went 3-4 with a 4.26 ERA. In 57 innings pitched, Eovaldi struck out 53 while walking only eight. Meanwhile, in 20 starts with the Jays, Happ went 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA. Happ has struck out 130 batters in only 114 innings pitched with only 35 walks earning his first ever All-Star Team selection. Both pitchers will add depth to their respective rotations and are free agents at the end of the season.

The measure of this deal might be determined by the other participants in it. Beeks made his big league debut with the Red Sox earlier this season when the Detroit Tigers roughed him up for seven runs in four innings pitched. Earlier this month, Beeks made a relief appearance against the Texas Rangers giving up three runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Beeks will likely get an opportunity to find his way as a starting pitcher on the Rays' big league roster.

As for the Blue Jays, the key figure is Drury who got lost in the shuffle with the emergence of Miguel Andujar after being acquired in the off-season from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Drury was hitting only .176 with a home run and 7 RBI in 18 games this season. However, Drury will get a chance to play everyday in Toronto as the Jays are trying to shop Josh Donaldson (although this might be a challenge as he is on the DL). If Drury can have a Donaldson like impact on the Jays he will have a found a home.

Of course, in the short term, this deal will be measured should Eovaldi and Happ face off against each other on the mound in August or September.