Red Sox 'Nearing Deal' With Dodgers To Reunite With Former Frontline Starter

Boston could use the boost

Scott Neville | Jul 26, 2024

Feb 15, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow talks with media at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

The Boston Red Sox are less than a week away from the July 30 trade deadline as they attempt to push their chips in for a competitive postseason push.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has declared himself as a buyer and already appears to have completed his first deadline move as leader of baseball operations.

"Red Sox traded minor league infielder Moises Bolivar to Los Angeles for James Paxton," MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Friday. "The deal is official."

Paxton is 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA, 64-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .246 batting average against and a 1.46 WHIP in 89 1/3 innings across 18 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season.

Due to the Dodgers' influx of starting pitchers coming off the injured list, they shockingly designated the southpaw for assignment -- which initiated a bidding war the Red Sox won.

Paxton spent the previous two seasons in Boston, much of which was focused on rehabbing various injuries. The 35-year-old finally saw the field toward the middle of 2023, when he posted a 4.50 ERA with a 101-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .250 batting average against and a 1.31 WHIP in 96 innings across 19 starts.

The Red Sox would welcome similar production to round out their rotation and allow swingman Cooper Criswell to return to a depth role. It was wise for Breslow to buy low on an affordable yet reliable arm.

Now Breslow can go into the deadline with less desperation in that regard, which will still allow him to go out and target a more premier starter such as Detroit Tigers' Jack Flaherty or Chicago White Sox's Erick Fedde. But, it also lets Breslow put more emphasis on adding a much-need impact right-handed bat and ideally some reloading of the bullpen -- which has taken massive hits with Chris Martin and Justin Slaten on the injured list.

Paxton was a slam-dunk addition to the roster that allowed Breslow to shore up a massive hole on the roster before the trade deadline truly heats up.

More MLB: Red Sox Urged To Make Surprise Splash For Slugger Despite Dire Need For Pitching Help

Published Jul 26, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu