Pitcher Dodgers Traded at Deadline Says He's Retiring: Report

J.P. Hoornstra | Sep 11, 2024

Jul 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton (65) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

James Paxton was the Dodgers' healthiest starting pitcher in a season riddled by injuries.

Only after being traded to the Boston Red Sox in advance of the July 30 deadline did Paxton suffer the injury that ended his season, a calf strain Aug. 11 in his third start with Boston.

Now, it appears the injury will end Paxton's career.

The pitcher told Rob Bradford of the Baseball Isn't Boring Podcast that he is planning on retiring after the season.

James Paxton just told me he is planning on retiring after this season. Interview coming on the @BBisntBoring podcast

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) September 11, 2024

From his first start of the season in April until July 21, Paxton's final start in a Dodgers uniform, only he and rookie Gavin Stone managed to avoid going on the injured list. Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have all taken turns coming on and off the injured list in the meantime.

Paxton performed more than admirably after signing a one-year, $7 million contract. He was 8-2 with a 4.43 earned-run average when the Dodgers designated him for assignment on July 21, needing to make room on their 40-man roster for the promotion of River Ryan.

Days before the July 30 tade deadline, the Dodgers traded Paxton to the Red Sox for prospect Moises Bolivar.

Paxton went 1-1 in his first two starts after the trade before taking the mound in Boston on Aug. 11 against the Houston Astros. He faced only three batters before a calf strain forced him to leave the game.

Ultimately, Boston transferred Paxton from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL, ending his season.

Paxton, 35, went 73-41 with a 3.77 ERA over parts of 11 seasons (2013-24). The British Columbia native made his mark with the Seattle Mariners from 2013-18, going 41-26 in 102 starts with a 3.42 ERA (117 ERA+).

The Mariners traded Paxton to the New York Yankees in Nov. 2018 for pitchers Justus Sheffield and Erik Swanson. After making a career-high 29 starts for the Yankees in 2019, injuries defined the final five years of Paxton's career.

Paxton made five starts for the Yankees in 2020, limited by a strained left flexor tendon. In April 2021, he underwent Tommy John surgery that knocked him out of action until 2023. That season, he made 19 starts for the Boston Red Sox before a lat tear ended his campaign in August.

In May 2018, Paxton became the second native of Canada ever to throw a no-hitter in MLB.