The Dodgers have been the busiest team in the offseason and that continued yet again on January 23. Veteran lefty James Paxton is reportedly headed to the Dodgers, as reports indicate he’ll head to Los Angeles on a one-year deal to join a deep rotation.
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A Look at Paxton
Last season, James Paxton threw 96 innings for the Boston Red Sox. That number doesn’t seem high on paper but it was Paxton’s most in a single season since 2019 when he threw 150.2 for the Yankees.
The previous three seasons were nightmarish for Paxton, who dealt with a myriad of injuries and threw just 21.2 IP from 2020-22. However, things were improved for Paxton in 2023.
The 35-year-old struck out 101 over those 96 innings and posted a 4.50 ERA. Paxton dominated when he first returned from a hamstring strain in 2023, as he posted a stellar 2.73 ERA and .98 WHIP over 56 innings in the first half. However, he gave up 31 runs — 14 more than the first half — over 40 second-half innings.
There was also the velocity drop that occurred during the season. Paxton’s fastball sat in the 93-95 MPH range for much of the second half, a bit down from the first when he was regularly hitting 98 MPH.
But even though he did miss time both at the beginning and end of 2023, Paxton’s fastball looked good when healthy. Not to mention, his signature knuckle curve and “slutter”-ish cutter were also effective.
Per the New York Post, James Paxton will receive a one-year, $11MM deal from the Dodgers with the potential to earn an extra $2MM.
Analysis
The Dodgers have been busy in recent weeks fortifying their rotation, as both Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have joined a rotation that’s also set to include Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller. Now, James Paxton will likely be a back-end option for Los Angeles.
It’s a low-risk move for Paxton, a lefty who flashed very good stuff when healthy but did fade as 2023 went on. He still has swing-and-miss stuff and Paxton could also benefit from what may be a six-man rotation in 2024, although that’s yet to be confirmed.