How the James Paxton Signing Affects the Rest of the Dodgers' Pitching Staff

"Big Maple" does more than just throw with his left hand.

As with any signing, the incoming player has implications for other members of the team. For the Dodgers, James Paxton does more than just provide them with a left-hander in the rotation. He allows them to be as flexible as possible when deploying their rotation next year.

The Dodgers currently have six starting pitchers projected for their rotation next year — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Emmett Sheehan, and Paxton. While this is more than the traditional five starters, the Dodgers can immediately get creative with this rotation.

There have been rumblings this offseason that the Dodgers may not have Buehler on the Opening Day roster. Coming off his second major elbow surgery, the front office wants to be mindful of how often he pitches. Almost certainly, the Dodgers brass has a specific number of starts they want to keep Buehler around next year.

With Paxton on the roster, they do not need to worry about a fifth starter for Opening Day. He can give the club quality innings while Buehler builds himself up for the rest of the year.

Paxton also allows the Dodgers to slow-play their up-and-coming young arms. Nick Frasso and Landon Knack are waiting in the wings for an opportunity to pitch at the major league level. The front office can put them in positions to succeed instead of bringing them up at the first sign of trouble.

This flexibility may apply most to fellow southpaw Ryan Yarbrough — who likely would have been the team's de facto sixth starter. Last year, the Dodgers utilized Yarbrough in a variety of ways. 

Of his 11 appearances with the team, he started twice, followed a one-inning opener three times, and came out of the bullpen in the sixth inning or later for the rest of them. Now, Los Angeles does not have to lean on him as a starter. He can continue to make spot starts or take bulk innings depending on what the situation dictates.

Given the enormous amount of money spent this offseason, the Paxton signing might have flown under the radar comparatively. However, as the season goes on, this contract could seem like a steal with how much value it brings.