What the scout says about James Paxton's trade with the Yankees

In southpaw James Paxton, the Yankees may have signed the best years of a No. 2 star whose best remains to be achieved, said an American League scout at NJ Advance Media on Monday night.

But the scout, who requested anonymity to talk about another team's player, added that the other side of the coin might be that the Yankees added a player similar to that of the other players. one of their biggest headaches: Jacoby Ellsbury.

Paxton, which the Yankees have received from Mariners in exchange for a forward-looking package completed by leftist Justus Sheffield, 22, uses a heavy attack like a fastball from a whimsical angle to three-quarters' misleading, and again more (so) because it does not seem that he uses so much effort to "generate average speeds of 90 km / h," said the scout. "It's about you, all of a sudden. "

The Yankees have Paxton | What this means

The scout also expressed his enthusiasm for what he heard about the work ethic and the possibility of making adjustments to Paxton, a 30-year-old player who will not be a free agent before two more seasons.

But the scout also said that for years, Paxton "practiced Ellsbury" and that the Yankees, regardless of their team, should be wary of injured players, although they all seem disconnected.

Ellsbury was often injured with the Red Sox before the Yankees awarded him a $ 153 million contract seven years before the 2014 season. This trend continued with the Yankees.

Of course, there are many differences between the Ellsbury and Paxton situations, namely that Paxton will not earn much more than the money that Ellsbury has collected.

But Paxton has been on the disabled list five times in the past three seasons – although injuries have not been extreme. On Monday night, chief executive Brian Cashman told reporters that the Yankees' medical staff was comfortable with Paxton's health.

Paxton has a strong 2018, 11-6 with an average of 3.76. He set career highs at the start (28 games) and heats (160 1/3). Paxton also eliminated 208 batting units during that period and only 42.

He thinks he can be right behind Luis Severino, but perhaps in front of Masahiro Tanaka in the rotation of the Yankees. CC Sabathia is expected to be No. 5 star and Cashman said the Yankees would continue to search for high-end launchers. J.A. Happ and Patrick Corbin are still free agents.

Brendan Kuty can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find the Yankees from NJ.com on Facebook.