Nathan Eovaldi felt the pull of teammates, staff in returning to Red Sox

LAS VEGAS -- The money, of course, was primary. When a player reaches free agency, it would be foolish not to take advantage of the financial opportunities the process brings.

But for Nathan Eovaldi, returning to the Red Sox meant more than his four-year, $68-million contract.

As he sorted through the various offers from across the game, Eovaldi kept feeling the pull of the Red Sox -- what they had accomplished, the bond he felt with teammates and the treatment he received from the fans.

"I was only here such a short amount of time,'' said Eovaldi as the Red Sox officially announced his new deal at the MLB Winter Meetings, "and the relationship I was able to build with my teammates and the fans and my coaching staff -- it was something I wasn't ready to part with.''

Until now, Eovaldi has been something of a baseball journeyman, having played with the Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees and Rays before joining the Red Sox last July. But never in his first four stops did Eovaldi find the culture that he experienced in Boston.

"I feel like the winning has a really big part to do with it,'' he said. "All the guys, the selflessness, I've never been a part of that. Everybody's willing to do their part. Take (Eduardo) Nunez -- he doesn't start against the lefty (in Game 3 of the ALDS in New York) and then he comes off the bench and does what he does. (Chris) Sale, said in the video (before Game 5 of the World Series ), '(David) Price has the hot hand; I want him to have the ball.'

"They want what's best for the team and don't put themselves first. I feel like that's something that's very special.''

Some of it may well have been about fortuitous timing, too. Eovaldi joined a team that was in first place in July, and kept building from there, gaining confidence along the way.

"I felt like, every team I was with, I kind of just missed it,'' explained Eovaldi. "When I got traded from the Dodgers, they had gotten another group of guys and from that point on, I think they've been in the postseason almost every year. The Marlins have been doing better and better (since I've left). It's just nice to finally be in the middle of everything and be a part of it.''

And Eovaldi was made to feel part of it by his teammates, who showed him their gratitude and emotion, especially after his six-inning relief stint in Game 3 of the World Series. Rick Porcello was in tears and the entire team greeted him with a standing ovation in the clubhouse in the minutes after the 18-inning loss to the Dodgers.

"That was kind of the biggest moment for me,'' acknowledged Eovaldi. "I was down, a little disappointed that we had lost the game, but having all those guys rally behind me and thank me for my performance ... to have that, I felt like we were definitely going to be able to come back and win those next two games. It helped me move on,''

Weeks later, those same teammates continually expressed hope that Eovaldi would re-sign with the Sox, acting as recruiters. That carried over to the fan base, too, who directed shouts of "Sign him!'' to Dave Dombrowski at the premiere of the World Series highlight film last week.

"A lot of them were texting me, asking me if I was coming back and (asking) 'What's going on?' ... things like that,'' said Eovaldi. "They definitely wanted me to come back and it's hard to not want to come back, too. You always want that support from your fans and your teammates.''

Thanks to a number of physical setbacks, Eovaldi has had only one season in which he won double-figures in games and one season in which he pitched more than 155 innings. But at 28, he believes he's still getting better and the best is yet to come.

"I felt like I improved a lot (in the few months in Boston),'' he said, referring to a different pitch mix that saw him utilize his cutter far more. "When I got traded to the Red Sox, I felt like I was able to get on the right page. Those last few months, I was able to throw the ball really well.''

At times, it's surreal for Eovaldi to consider that he began the year on the DL with Tampa Bay, and now finds himself with the security of a four-year deal, pitching for a team intent on defending its world championship.

"I feel like you learn a lot, being in different organizations,'' he said. "Everybody has a plan for you and the way they want you to pitch and you get to learn different things. I always try to keep my ears open and my mouth shut, just kind of take in as much information I can get and (figure out) what works for me. To bounce around, I've learned a lot and to come in here and help some of our guys and have them help me, it's definitely helped a lot.''