The Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday afternoon announced the signing of left-handed pitcher James Paxton to a one-year contract for the 2024 season. Early reports indicate that Paxton will receive an $8 million base salary and a $3 million signing bonus with several other potential incentives.
Paxton, 35, made 19 starts for the Boston Red Sox in 2023, posting a 7-5 record with a 4.50 ERA. He recorded 101 strikeouts in 96.0 innings while allowing 33 walks. It was his first near-full season since 2019, when he went a career best 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA and 186 strikeouts with the New York Yankees. Despite his success last year, he still missed 22 games with a knee issue and another 42 games with hamstring problems.
Paxton had a banner season in 2018 with the Seattle Mariners, posting career highs with 160+ innings, 208 strikeouts, 11.7 strikeouts per nine, two complete games and a 1.098 WHIP. Paxton is best known for his no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018, striking out 16 batters while becoming the first Canadian born left-hander to toss a no-hitter in Canada and the second Canadian born pitcher to toss a no-hitter in Major League Baseball history.
The British Columbia native enters his 11th Major League season and his first in the National League. Over 10 MLB seasons, he has gone a combined 64-38 with a 3.69 ERA in 156 career starts. He was originally drafted by the Mariners in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draft out of the University of Kentucky.
If Paxton stays healthy enough and earns a spot on the 2024 Opening Day roster, he will bring a much-needed lefty arm into the rotation mix. With righty Walker Buehler potentially missing the early portion of the year due to an innings limit, Paxton could conceivably join right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Bobby Miller as the club’s primary starters. If this indeed becomes the case, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Landon Knack would theoretically compete for the fifth spot, with Michael Grove and Kyle Hurt being utilized as relievers.
Paxton primarily features a four-seam fastball, a slider and a curve, with his heater topping out around 94 MPH.
(Juan Dorado furnished some information provided in this report)
Think Blue Planning Committee 
What an idiotic move to trade Caleb Ferguson? why do you trade a young 27 year old who was out best lefty in the bullpen for a guy that’s 36 and spare parts? Ridiculous. Ferguson has been solid his entire career. What was Friedman thinking?
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Brasier was far more effective than Ferguson during his time here last year, but I think they could have found a way to have both of them on the roster at the same time.
I think there is more here than meets the eye. At one point after his TJ surgery a couple years ago, the Dodgers kept Ferguson on the IL longer than he was happy with. I don’t think he’s been happy here ever since (just my opinion and I could be totally wrong).
I’m guessing he felt he could have been used in more high pressure situations and then they started using him as the opener a few times, steering away from late inning stuff. I just have a feeling that there has been a disconnect between him and the front office for a couple of years now and maybe they both felt it was time for a change.
Matt Gage (at least today’s Matt Gage) probably isn’t as good a pitcher as Ferguson, but he has one option year left whereas Caleb doesn’t. Also, the Dodger gurus haven’t gotten their hands on Gage yet so who knows what there might be to unlock there. There is a stat called Stuff+ (who knew?) and Gage’s cutter is rated among the best in baseball based on that stat.
This is what Fangraph’s has to say about the other guy we got in the deal:
“Zazueta led the DSL Yankees in innings pitched with 52. He has the pitch movement foundation to break out if he can throw harder as he matures. He currently has a rise-and-run upper-80s fastball, a shapely mid-70s curveball, and a precocious changeup, all of which have bat-missing promise.”
You never know with trades. Ferguson might be the best reliever in baseball next year, but I’m willing to trust Friedman’s judgement on this one.
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Yadier Alvarez always had the potential of breaking out, too. 😀
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What do you mean “had”.
He’s still only 27 and even though he didn’t even play last year, he might be a late bloomer.
I think we should trade him for Devin Williams and let the Brewers reap the benefit of his potential.
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