New York Yankees: Revisiting the Nathan Eovaldi trade

One of the biggest trades that the New York Yankees have made in recent years was with the Miami Marlins for Nathan Eovaldi, but have they won this deal so far?

Looking back at trades made to determine who was a winner or a loser is always a fun thing in baseball, as some teams can get absolutely hosed. In December of 2014, the Yankees acquired both Nathan Eovaldi and Domingo German for Martin Prado and David Phelps.

The trade by the Yankees was centered on acquiring the young, hard-throwing right-hander from the Marlins, who they hoped they could groom into a solid piece of their rotation for years to come. The price was not cheap for Eovaldi, as Prado was a valuable utility man in the field, and Phelps was a versatile pitcher who could either start or help in the bullpen.

Last season, the Yankees got a lot out of Eovaldi, who totaled a 14-3 record and 4.20 ERA in 27 starts. The introduction of a split-finger fastball for Eovaldi really helped him have a great second half of the season, but unfortunately, he had his season cut a bit short due to an arm injury.

For the Marlins, Prado hit the ball well in 2015, as he totaled a .288 batting average with nine home runs and 63 RBIs, but he missed a good chunk of the season due to injuries. Phelps didn’t perform nearly as well as Prado did, as he totaled a 4-8 record with a 4.50 ERA in 2015.

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While it looked like the Yankees won the trade after last season, this season has been a bit different. Eovaldi is one of the Yankees’ starters that has pitched poorly this season, as he has a 1-2 record with a 5.46 ERA. Eovaldi did flirt with a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers, but that was one of his few good starts of the season thus far.

Prado and Phelps, on the other hand, are both playing exceptionally for the Marlins this season, as Prado is one of the best hitters in baseball with a .374 batting average in 23 games. Phelps has also turned it around for the Marlins out of the bullpen, as he has totaled a 2-1 record, one save, and 1.06 ERA.

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There is still a lot of upside for Eovaldi, but there is no denying that the Marlins are winning the trade in 2016 so far. Having Prado would be a great weapon for the Yankees right now with Chase Headley struggling so much, and also without a backup for Mark Teixeira at first base.

The true winner of this trade will be years away depending on how Eovaldi turns out, but with the way Phelps and Prado are performing for the Marlins, it is looking pretty even after a little over a season.

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