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SEATTLE – The Big Maple is back with the Mariners. James Paxton has agreed to the terms of a one-year contract with Seattle for the 2021 season pending a physical exam, a source told MLB.com on Saturday. The club did not confirm the deal.
Paxton, who was drafted by and spent six seasons with Seattle from 2013-18, will earn $ 8.5 million in salary, with performance incentives that could take his contract to $ 10 million depending on the number of games he launches, a source told MLB.com. Mark Feinsand. This makes the deal a big win-win for both parties in many ways.
Here’s why for Paxton: For all of his accolades as a high-end type starter, the 32-year-old has suffered significant injuries throughout his eight-year career, including a left flexor strain last season and back surgery. last february. A one-year contract allows him to restore his value and re-enter the market the next offseason with the opportunity to strike a longer and richer deal if he can show he is healthy and efficient.
And for the Mariners: They gain a big inside out arm that can potentially eat up much-needed innings and bridge to their younger arms, which will have workload limitations and the burden of coming back to a 162-game season. . They also bring in a veteran who has since gained playoff experience throwing for the Yankees, a valued veteran experience that could be huge for their young core.
The Mariners had their eyes set on Paxton during the offseason, and they were among 20 clubs that watched the southpaw kick off a paddock session in Bellevue, Wash., Around Thanksgiving, according to Jon Paul Morosi. from MLB.com. Paxton, who was averaging 92.1 mph on his fastball in 2020, down from 95.4 mph in 19, was hitting 94 mph that day. He’s also caught the Blue Jays’ interest this offseason, and he’s been linked with the Phillies, Cardinals and Mets.
Paxton is expected to sit second in the Mariners’ rotation, behind Marco Gonzales and ahead of Justus Sheffield, who was the prized comeback in the very trade that sent Paxton to the Yanks in November 2018. That deal sparked the Current Reconstruction in many ways. of the Mariners, as it was GM Jerry Dipoto’s first major trade in what has since been called a “setback” offseason.
After the fall of the Paxton domino, Seattle distributed Edwin Díaz and Robinson Canó to the Mets in a blockbuster that brought back No.1 prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn, who will enter the camp competing for a back seat. in the Seattle rotation, which the front office said it will feature six pitchers instead of the standard five. It’s unclear whether the Paxton acquisition will impact those plans, but most likely not.
At his best in health, Paxton was one of the best left-handed starters in the American League, with a career 3.58 ERA and 114 ERA +. His heyday came on May 8, 2018, when he threw a smooth run for the Mariners against the Blue Jays in his homeland of Canada.
But he’s never pitched more than 160 1/3 innings per season or hit the 30-start plateau, and he’s been capped at 20 or fewer starts in all but three seasons, with just five in the shortened 2020 campaign. . He is on the injured list for injuries to his knee, back, pecs, elbow and latissimus dorsi dating back to 14.
That’s why the Paxton bullpen session in November was important. Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd, a Seattle-area native who worked with Paxton during the offseason, recently told MLB Network Radio that “whoever gets it is going to get robbed.”
“And he’s pumping the ball right now too,” Boyd said. “He looks better than ever. We dove into some things, breaking down fastballs and figuring out the direction of rotation and all that. His ball takes off. It’s fun to catch. … Whoever gets it, he gets an ace.
Paxton represents Seattle’s second major acquisition this week, after the club agreed to terms with closer Ken Giles on Thursday. Giles is recovering from Tommy John’s surgery he had in October, which will keep him on the sidelines for the whole of 2021. But Saturday’s move is much more for now, and it’s still a another sign that the Mariners are trying to take a step forward.
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