AL East Team Had ‘Strong Interest’ in James Paxton Before He Signed With Dodgers: Report

Ultimately, the lefty reliever chose the West Coast.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a significant signing on Tuesday, when left-handed free-agent starting pitcher James Paxton finazlied a one-year, $11 million contract with the Boys in Blue. 

Paxton will join L.A.'s elite rotation, starring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler, and Tyler Glasnow, as they look to capture title No. 8. Paxton will return to the West Coast after spending the 2023 season with the Boston Red Sox. 

However, the Red Sox didn't want to let Paxton go so easily. According to Red Sox writer Rob Bradford, Boston was interested in keeping the southpaw. 

Per source, while Red Sox did have strong interest in James Paxton his priority was staying on West Coast closer to his home

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) January 23, 2024

Bradford reported that Paxton wanted to come back to the West Coast, and playing for a championship contender like the Dodgers never hurts.

The 35-year-old is coming off a solid 2023 season after missing the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 19 starts, Paxton recorded a 7-5 record with a 4.50 ERA, 101 strikeouts, and a 1.31 WHIP in 96 innings. 

The Canadian pitcher will head back to the West Coast after beginning his career with the Seattle Mariners from 2013-18. Paxton has only pitched in three postseason games, which came with the New York Yankees in 2019. 

In those games, he went 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA, and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings.