The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured a one-year deal with veteran starting pitcher James Paxton, according to sources, confirming widespread reports within the baseball community.
Paxton’s contract is valued at approximately $11 million in guaranteed earnings, as per sources familiar with the negotiations.
A left-handed pitcher at the age of 35, Paxton has had his share of injury challenges. He made just six starts from 2020 to 2022 due to a herniated disc procedure, cyst removal from his back, and Tommy John surgery. Paxton made his comeback in May 2023, nearly two years after his elbow surgery, and managed a record of 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 19 starts for the Boston Red Sox. During that time, he struck out 101 batters while issuing 33 walks in 96 innings.
Paxton had an impressive 2.73 ERA in his first ten starts but faced difficulties in the latter part of the season, recording a 6.98 ERA in nine starts, during which he missed almost the entire month of September due to knee inflammation.
Paxton is set to join the star-studded Dodgers’ rotation, which underwent significant changes in the offseason. The rotation now features names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, and Bobby Miller. Additionally, talents like Emmet Sheehan, Michael Grove, and Gavin Stone are waiting in the wings, with Dustin May, recovering from flexor tendon surgery, expected to be an option during the season.
During this offseason, the Dodgers have invested approximately $1.07 billion in free agents, including Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto, Teoscar Hernandez, Jason Heyward, and Paxton (with a significant portion of Ohtani’s deal deferred). They also acquired Glasnow in a trade and subsequently signed him to a five-year, $136.6 million extension.
While the Dodgers boast impressive depth, uncertainties linger in their rotation. Buehler, returning from his second Tommy John surgery, will likely face innings restrictions in the 2024 season. Glasnow, recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2022, will also be closely monitored.
Yamamoto, coming from Japan, is accustomed to pitching in a six-man rotation. Although the Dodgers may not employ a full-time six-man rotation, their depth will allow Yamamoto to start on five days’ rest when no off-days are scheduled.
While the possibility of Clayton Kershaw’s return hasn’t been ruled out by the Dodgers, he underwent offseason shoulder surgery and might not be an option until August. Ohtani is also set to return to pitching in 2025.
Originally from British Columbia, Paxton enjoyed a successful and durable period with the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees from 2017 to 2019, making 81 starts, posting a 3.54 ERA, and striking out an impressive 11.1 batters per nine innings during that span.