Nate Eaton, an outfielder with “elite” speed who made an impact in limited action for the Boston Red Sox in last yearâs American League Wild Card Series, almost made it to the major league roster this spring. But on Monday, the Red Sox announced that Eaton had been optioned to Triple-A Worcester, with just two days before Opening Day.
The last-minute roster decision was reported by MassLive Red Sox reporter Chris Cotillo, and confirmed by a Red Sox announcement on the team’s official transactions ledger.
The 29-year-old Eaton, who signed as a minor league free agent with the Red Sox after the 2024 season, got into two of the three Wild Card games between the Red Sox and New York Yankees last postseason, collecting two hits, including a double, and drawing a walk in his six plate appearances.
But Eaton’s greatest value has generally been as a speedster. Baseball Savant ranks his sprint speed in the 98th percentile of all MLB players, meaning that Eaton runs faster than all but the fastest two percent of major leaguers.
Eaton stole nine bases for the Red Sox despite appearing in only 41 regular-season games last year. He was caught only twice in his 11 attempts.
GettyNate Eaton of the Boston Red Sox is congratulated in the dugout before hearing he had been optioned to Triple-A.
Eaton a WBC Standout for Great Britain
Eaton may not have helped his cause by departing Red Sox spring training in March to join Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. Eaton’s mother was born in the United Kingdom, qualifying him to play for the Great Britain squad under WBC eligibility rules, though Eaton was born and raised entirely in the United States.
But Great Britain was eliminated at the pool-play stage, winning just one game in the WBC competition, defeating Team Brazil 8-1 in their final game.
Eaton, however, excelled in the tournament. He recorded six hits in 19 plate appearances, including a home run and two doubles. He also stole a base and was caught one time, playing in all four of Team Great Britain’s games.
Eaton Rose From a 21st-Round Draft Pick
Though Eaton is still struggling to prove himself at the big league level, simply appearing in 113 MLB games over three separate seasons has to be considered an accomplishment. The Chester, Virginia, native was never considered a highly promising prospect.
The Kansas City Royals drafted him in 2018 in the 21st round â a round so low it doesn’t exist anymore, having been eliminated in 2021 â with the 632nd overall pick.
The Royals signed Eaton for a relatively meager $85,000 bonus.
After two seasons playing baseball at the Virginia Military Institute, Eaton played for the Peninsula Pilots of the independent Coastal Plain League, in Hampton, Virginia. It was there that he caught the eye of Royals scouts.
“The Royals 2018 draft class is far from stellar, but such a late selection appearing in The Show is an achievement on its own,” wrote Jacob Milham of the Royals site Kings of Kaufman, describing Eaton as possessing “elite raw speed.”
Despite his latest option to the minor leagues, Eaton will almost certainly see major league playing time for the Red Sox at some point in 2026. Earlier in the spring, manager Alex Cora cited Eaton for a potential roster spot to replace injured Romy Gonzalez, but it appears that the spot will go to offseason trade acquisition Andruw Monasterio instead.
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