The Boston Red Sox faced a challenging 2023-24 offseason, primarily due to moves made by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers signed former Red Sox free-agent targets Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Teoscar Hernández, and James Paxton. Just a day after facing one of these targets, the Red Sox have an opportunity to strengthen their roster before the trade deadline.
Boston might consider a reunion with Paxton, who was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on July 22, the day after his start against his old team. In that game, he allowed three runs on four hits over five innings and struck out seven Red Sox batters, marking his second-highest strikeout total of the season.
Sources: James Paxton is being designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 22, 2024
Although Paxton’s recent performance wasn’t among his worst, the Dodgers needed to clear a roster spot for Clayton Kershaw and anticipate Tyler Glasnow’s return from the injured list later in the week.
Paxton, who has posted a 4.43 ERA over 89.1 innings this season, has struck out 64 batters and walked 48. Despite not having standout statistics, the 35-year-old brings 11 years of MLB experience, which could be valuable to the predominantly young Red Sox rotation. As a left-handed pitcher, Paxton would become the only southpaw in Boston’s starting lineup if acquired.
The Dodgers let Paxton go to make room for their more prominent pitchers, and he’s also close to reaching a contract milestone that would significantly increase his salary. With 18 starts so far, Paxton is two starts away from earning up to $13 million this year, a considerable boost from his current $7 million guarantee.
Paxton has never exceeded 29 starts in a season and is on track to approach that number this year. While he may not be the most reliable option as Boston’s fifth starter due to his injury history, he could represent one of the best and most affordable options if the Sox fail to secure another starter before the trade deadline.
