Red Sox Star Pitcher Takes Hard Stance On Whether He Wants To Be Traded

The veteran wants to make a postseason run with his squad

Scott Neville | Jul 30, 2023

Red Sox Star Pitcher Takes Hard Stance On Whether He Wants To Be Traded /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox enter the series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday 2 1/2 games back of an American League Wild Card spot, leaving a lot of options on the table for Tuesday's Major League Baseball Trade Deadline.

The Red Sox are expected to add some pieces but have not ruled out selling off some impending free agents -- namely James Paxton and Adam Duvall.

The former spoke with the media about the situation after what might be his last start for Boston.

“I’d love to stay,” Paxton told reporters, as transcribed by MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “I’d love to fight for this team and get into the postseason. That’s what we want to do here.”

The Red Sox realistically need the southpaw to compete for the postseason. He's one of just three healthy starters at the moment with Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock on the shelf. He's also been one of the best pitchers on the staff.

That being said, he'd also be one of the top prizes on the rental market. Not only has the 34-year-old been productive but he's also under a one-year, $4 million deal -- making him very easy to move.

Paxton is 6-2 with a 3.34 ERA, 80-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .212 batting average against and 1.07 WHIP in 70 innings across 13 starts.

The Texas Rangers reportedly scouted his most recent start and they would be far from the only suitor should he become available.

Fortunately for Paxton, logic would indicate the chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom will retain his hard-throwing lefty as they gear up for a playoff push -- something that has become much more attainable as of late.

More MLB: Multiple Reports Link Red Sox, Phillies For Trade Involving All-Star Slugger

Published Jul 30, 2023

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