Newly-acquired left-handed pitcher James Paxton of the Los Angeles Dodgers recently addressed the media, including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, to discuss his recent one-year contract with the team and the physical examination he underwent. This examination resulted in a decrease in Paxton’s guaranteed salary from $11 million to $7 million. Paxton clarified during the interview that the reduction in his contract was not due to any specific injury concerns expressed by the Dodgers. Instead, it was a combination of his history with Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss nearly two full seasons, and a knee issue that prematurely ended his 2023 season in September.
Paxton acknowledged his age and imperfections, stating, “I’m now an older player, and I’m not flawless anymore,” as reported by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. He recognized that various factors have accumulated over the years, leading to the team’s decision.
Despite the concerns raised during his physical, Paxton expressed confidence in his readiness for the upcoming 2024 season. He affirmed that he feels strong and prepared as he enters spring training. According to his revised contract, which includes performance-based incentives, Paxton will receive a $2 million bonus if he is on the roster for either the start of the series against the San Diego Padres in Korea on March 20 or the team’s first game in the United States against the St. Louis Cardinals the following week.
Throughout his career, Paxton, 35, has been hindered by injuries on numerous occasions. Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays as the 37th overall pick in the 2009 draft, the left-hander made his major league debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2013 and immediately impressed with a 1.50 ERA in a brief four-start appearance. Until his 30th birthday, Paxton consistently showcased his skills when healthy, displaying the performance of a reliable second-tier starting pitcher with a 3.50 ERA, 3.28 FIP, and a strikeout rate of 26.5%. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to just 733 innings of work over seven seasons, and his struggles persisted when the calendar turned to 2020. From 2020 to 2022, Paxton only made six appearances, pitching 21 2/3 innings due to various injuries.
Paxton made a comeback as a member of the Boston Red Sox in May of the previous year. Initially, he appeared to have returned to his dominant form from his younger days. In his first ten starts, Paxton recorded an impressive 2.73 ERA across 56 innings, striking out 29% of batters faced. However, his performance declined significantly after the All-Star break. In his final nine starts of the season, Paxton struggled with a 6.98 ERA and 6.16 FIP over 40 innings, culminating in his shutdown due to knee inflammation after allowing six runs in less than an inning.
Despite his late-season struggles, Paxton finished the 2023 campaign with a 4.50 ERA, which was close to the league average based on ERA+. While his early-season form with the Red Sox demonstrated his ability to be a valuable asset for a playoff-caliber team, Paxton only needs to replicate his performance from the entire 2023 season to contribute to the Dodgers. The team is seeking experienced pitchers to complement their rotation, which is expected to primarily consist of young starters with limited major league experience like Bobby Miller and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Additionally, the rotation includes pitchers with their own injury histories, such as Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, and Walker Buehler.
Although the rotation lacks certainty, young arms like Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, and Michael Grove are poised to provide support as needed throughout the season. The opportunity for these young players to make an immediate impact seems likely, as both Buehler and Kershaw are anticipated to begin the season on the injured list. However, team officials have suggested that Buehler’s absence may be relatively short-lived.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com