Report: Dodgers, Paxton agree to 1-year, $11M deal
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to make another splash in free agency.
Left-handed starter James Paxton agreed to a one-year contract with the reigning NL West champions worth $11 million, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
The deal also guarantees Paxton another $1 million if he's on the Opening Day roster and contains an additional $1 million in incentives, Heyman adds.
Paxton was limited to 21 2/3 innings from 2020-2022 due to numerous injuries, including Tommy John surgery in 2021. However, he bounced back last season with the Boston Red Sox, posting a 4.50 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts across 96 frames. Paxton had a 3.34 ERA over his first 16 starts (86 1/3 innings) before running out of gas down the stretch. He finished the campaign on the injured list with knee inflammation.
Injuries have prevented the 35-year-old from reaching his All-Star potential over his career. He's thrown more than 160 innings just once in 10 seasons, with that coming in 2018. Paxton enjoyed a four-year run from 2016-19 where he posted a 3.60 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 101 starts with the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. He threw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.
Paxton's addition will be the latest in what's been an incredible offseason in Chavez Ravine. He'll likely slot in at the back end of a rotation that also includes fellow newcomers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow.
The signing could end the Dodgers' need to reunite with free agent Clayton Kershaw. The 35-year-old Kershaw has spent his entire 16-year career with Los Angeles but is undecided if he will play again next season and is expected to miss part of 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The Dodgers also added Shohei Ohtani, who won't pitch in 2024, Teoscar Hernández, and Manny Margot this winter. The team's luxury-tax payroll sat around $300 million prior to adding Paxton, according to FanGraphs.