The Los Angeles Dodgers have reached an agreement with pitcher James Paxton on a one-year contract worth $11 million, as reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal also includes a $1 million Opening Day roster bonus and an additional $1 million in incentives.
The news of Paxton’s potential move to the Dodgers was initially hinted at by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya on Monday night, and the agreement has now been confirmed.
Paxton is set to join a revamped Dodgers rotation that has already seen the additions of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow during the offseason. Combined with the presence of Walker Buehler, the Dodgers boast a formidable pitching lineup.
Despite signing two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who underwent elbow surgery in September and is not expected to pitch in 2024, the Dodgers are strengthening their roster with Paxton’s one-year deal.
Having spent the previous two seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Paxton did not pitch in 2022 due to recovery from Tommy John surgery.
His 2023 season saw a debut on May 12 against the St. Louis Cardinals, and he managed to pitch without issue for four months until a right knee injury in September cut his season short.
Paxton concluded the 2023 season with a 4.50 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts over 96 innings in 19 starts, marking his best performance since 2019 despite the setbacks.
The pitcher’s career appeared uncertain, especially after Tommy John surgery, with just six appearances from 2020 to ’22. However, there are positive signs for Paxton heading into 2024, as his average fastball velocity last season (95.3 mph) was the best since 2019 (95.5).
According to Baseball Savant, Paxton ranked in the 60th percentile or higher in xERA, xBA, and whiff percentage. These promising indicators suggest that, despite not being earth-shattering numbers, Paxton has the potential to be a reliable mid-rotation starter for a competitive team.
With Paxton being two years removed from elbow reconstruction surgery, the Dodgers’ investment in him is viewed as a prudent move, providing depth and experience to their pitching staff as they aim for a World Series push in 2024.
