Report: Yankees, Mariners have discussed Paxton trade
The New York Yankees are seeking upgrades to their starting rotation and it looks like they have their eyes on one of the American League's best left-handers.
New York is among teams that have spoken to the Mariners about a trade for southpaw James Paxton, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Paxton is among a group of starters the Yankees were reportedly showing interest in during the GM meetings, which aligns with the offseason goals of general manager Brian Cashman.
"I think we'll just gravitate to anything that will make sense," Cashman said at the meetings, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "It could be a combination; something could make sense via trade in the same category as free agency. I'm interested in adding more than one pitcher. I need to, I think, add multiple. If I can do so, we'll see."
Acquiring Paxton would provide the Yankees with another top-tier arm to slide in alongside Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, and the recently re-signed CC Sabathia. Right-hander Sonny Gray is on the trade block.
The 30-year-old Paxton pitched a career-high 160 1/3 innings for Seattle in 2018, posting an 11-6 record with a 3.76 ERA and 208 strikeouts. He also threw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in May.