Nate Eovaldi becomes a free agent after opting out of his contract with the Rangers

The Rangers expected Evaldi to decline the option but would still like to re-sign the 34-year-old right-hander and Texas native.

“We’re still very interested in bringing him back,” said Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations. “We will still be working to get him back into Rangers shape.”

Eovaldi was 24-13 with a 3.72 ERA in 54 starts over the last two seasons. He was 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 29 starts this year and threw seven scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Angels to win the season finale for the Rangers, who missed the playoffs.

Texas was the sixth major league team for Eovaldi, who is 91-81 with a 4.07 ERA in 294 career games (275 starts) since his debut in 2011 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In addition to Boston, he also played for Miami, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay.

His $34 million contract with the Rangers included a $16 million salary for each of the last two seasons and a $2 million signing bonus. He also received several bonuses for being an All-Star in 2023 and reaching certain innings pitched levels.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and left-hander Andrew Heaney, a 31-hit starter, are also free agents.

The Rangers still have two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle under contract after both made three starts late last season after recovering from elbow surgery in 2023. John Gray has one more season left on his four-year contract. and former first-round draft picks Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker made their major league debuts this year.

Young said two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager is recovering “good” from his second hernia surgery in less than eight months.

Seager’s season ended in September after he had surgery to repair a right sports hernia on the opposite side of his abdomen following a Jan. 30 procedure. Seager missed most of spring training and did not play in his first exhibition game until March 23.

“I believe he is close to resuming a normal offseason and his normal strength and conditioning program,” Young said.

Seager was set to open on March 28 in his third season on a 10-year, $325 million contract. The 30-year-old shortstop hit .278 with 30 homers and 74 RBIs in 123 games before going on the injured list Sept. 4 with right hip discomfort.