[ad_1]
The Los Angeles Dodgers have continued their busy offseason, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with left-handed pitcher James Paxton. Chad Dey on X/Twitter was first to report the deal. Then, Jon Heyman of the New York Post followed with a report that the sides were “working on a possible deal.”
Now, the deal appears to be agreed upon, as Paxton will get a base salary of at least $11 million with incentives, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com have said the deal would be for roughly $12 million.
James Paxton Scouting Report
Paxton fills the Dodgers’ biggest need as a left-handed starter. The 35-year-old is coming off a 2023 season in which he had a 4.50 ERA in 19 starts coming off Tommy John surgery which sidelined him all of 2022.
Paxton is a 10-year veteran who began his MLB career with the Seattle Mariners in 2013. He’s spent seven seasons with Seattle, two with the New York Yankees and one with the Boston Red Sox.
Paxton has a pitch mix that includes five pitches. His primary pitch is a four-seam fastball, which he threw 55.8 percent of the time in 2023. He also has a knuckle curve, cutter, changeup and occasional sinker.
Paxton will be joining his fourth team and first National League team in the Dodgers. In his career at Dodger Stadium, he has a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings.
What Does the Dodgers’ Rotation Look Like With James Paxton?
The Dodgers’ will finally have a left-handed starter in the rotation with Paxton. Here’s what it could look like (once Walker Buehler is fully healthy).
Yoshinobu YamamotoTyler GlasnowWalker BuehlerBobby MillerJames PaxtonEmmet Sheehan
What Does the James Paxton Deal Mean for Clayton Kershaw?
While Paxton does fill the Dodgers’ need for a left-handed starting pitcher, it doesn’t necessarily take them out of the Clayton Kershaw sweepstakes.
Kershaw won’t be back until late summer as he rehabs his shoulder surgery, and could still be a great addition to the Dodgers for after the All-Star break.
If everyone remained healthy — and that’s a big if — Kershaw could slide into the rotation and Sheehan could go back to the bullpen in a long relief role.
Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
[ad_2]
Source link
