What Red Sox’s Connor Wong Learned From Nathan Eovaldi

Former Boston Red Sox teammates Connor Wong and Nathan Eovaldi were split up during the offseason, however, the two remain connected despite now playing for separate organizations.

Eovaldi, who pitches for the Texas Rangers, spends the bulk of his offseason training with Wong, which initially began when the Red Sox acquired the now-27-year-old catcher in part of the 2020 Mookie Betts trade. With Eovaldi hitting free agency after 2022, the future was unclear yet the two remained in touch.

Both Eovaldi and Wong met again during Boston’s three-game series with Texas at Fenway Park, speaking on the “TC & Company Podcast,” hosted by NESN’s Tom Caron.

“I learned a lot from him this offseason, just seeing a veteran go about his business in the weight room, what it takes to be a big leaguer and play this game for a long time,” Wong explained. “I know he’s a pitcher so it’s a little bit different of a job, but the way he gets after it in the weight room is just — trying to follow in his footsteps.”

Eovaldi and the Rangers agreed to a two-year deal worth $34 million in December, closing the door on his five-year run with the Red Sox. But the right-hander made sure to break the news to Wong while still working together in the offseason.

“Once I officially signed with the Rangers, I was like, ‘Hey, I’m outta here,'” Eovaldi revealed. “… He was like, ‘No,’ but we enjoy it. Being able to have each other that close to home, be able to work in the offseason and just know what we have to do to get better as a team. It makes it fun to be able to work on those goals.”

Nevertheless, Wong remained in good spirits despite losing a teammate.

“At the end of the day, I was happy for him that he’s able to go back home, be closer to his family, they’d be able to watch him,” Wong said. “It ended up working out for him and being a good thing.”

You can listen to the rest of the discussion between Caron, Wong and Eovaldi here:

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