Cody Snavely
UPDATE: The Dodgers have made the deal official and have acquired minor league infielder Moises Bolivar from the Boston Red Sox for James Paxton.
The 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline is less than five days away and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly made their first trade shipping off veteran left-handed pitcher James Paxton to the Boston Red Sox.
The move has been reported by Chad Day and Fansided’s Robert Murray the return in the package to the Dodgers is still unknown.
Paxton, 35,was DFA’d by the Dodgers on Monday after his eighteenth start of the 2024 season to make room for rookie right-handed pitcher River Ryan who made his Major League debut on Monday against the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers signed Paxton late this offseason to a one-year $7 million deal that could reach upward of $13 million based on roster and performance bonuses, which the lefty met, however, he was unable to truly provide the Dodgers what they needed which was length.
Paxton was 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA and a 4.97 WHIP. He hit the mid-90s on his fastball for most of the season but was plagued by walks, as his 1.455 WHIP is the second-highest of his career. This led to the lefty only averaging between four and five innings on the year, taxing the Dodgers bullpen. If it weren’t for the offense scoring over five runs per game on average, the record would tell a different story.
Paxton’s 16.4% strikeout rate is nearly six percentage points shy of the 22.3% league average, while his 12.3% walk rate is way north of the 8.2% average.
Paxton’s recent performance has been a cause for concern. Since June 5, he has carried a 6.03 ERA in 37 1/3 innings (eight starts). If we stretch that endpoint to mid-May, Paxton has been struggling with a 5.82 ERA in his past 11 starts.
The Red Sox who are starving for starting pitching depth get a guy who they are familiar with as he spent the previous two seasons in Beantown.
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