James Paxton is on the verge of his first Major League game in over two years, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that Paxton will join the team this week. Paxton won’t start during Boston’s upcoming two-game series with the Braves, which indicates that he’ll pitch at some point during the three-game series between the Cardinals and Red Sox from May 12-14.
Paxton underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2021 as a member of the Mariners, but the Red Sox made something of a speculative move by signing the left-hander to a free agent deal during the 2021-22 offseason. That contract contained a pair of club options (each worth $13MM) for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but also a $4MM player option Paxton could exercise if the Sox declined those club options. With Paxton missing the entire 2022 campaign due to both his TJ rehab and then a lat tear, Boston indeed declined its club options, and Paxton triggered his $4MM option to ultimately make his deal a two-year, $10MM pact overall.
If those past injuries weren’t enough, Paxton also had a Game 1 hamstring strain during Spring Training that delayed his ramp-up period to the point that another 15-day IL stint was required to begin the 2023 season. Pitching in six games at Triple-A Worcester during his rehab, Paxton has a 6.23 ERA over 21 2/3 innings, largely due to one disastrous outing (the only relief appearance of his six games) that saw him tagged for seven runs in two-thirds of an inning on April 19. In his last two rehab starts, Paxton allowed only two runs over 10 1/3 total innings, and he topped the 90-pitch threshold in both games.
The Red Sox don’t play on either Monday or Thursday, and they also have off-days on May 18, 25, and 29th. This gives the club some flexibility in how they arrange their pitching staff when Paxton returns, and Garrett Whitlock is also expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list this week. Cora said the Sox are considering the possibility of a six-man rotation to accommodate a full rotation, though the preponderance of upcoming off-days could lead to some extended time between starts if the Red Sox did try a larger rotation.
Who knew that continually rehabbing 365 days a year, was such a highly paid career?
The only player who’s durability makes Giancarlo Stanton look like Cal Ripken Jr
*lack of durability 🙂
Stephen Strasburg would like a word with you mister.
At least Strasburg has a WS ring in addition to his numerous hospital bracelets 🙂
And WS MVP.
James will trip on the bullpen rubber and be out indefinitely. .
As much as I’d like to see this guy do well, I have reservations. And it’s a nice restaurant.
Hell yeah bruthur order chicken tendies 🙂
Chicken “tendies”? Who are you? Grandpa Amos McCoy?
Are you guys talking about Andrew Benintenders?
:-O
MLBTR is working on a “James Paxton to the IL” post as we speak.
They actually have copy on file just in case. One for each joint. Click the date drop down and then post.
Just repost one from the past.
False, he is in witness protection.
Over his best four years, he started 101 games and went 568 innings. That’s not terribly impressive and that ended in 2019. Yes, good statistics, but not for the front of the rotation. Of course, who goes past six innings any more? I do like having another lefty in the rotation. But all the starters seem to be going through “growing pains” getting stabilized. Maybe out of the Sale, Houck, Kluber, Bello group, there are some signs. Pivetta is Pivetta. Consistent at least in his averageness. All 34 games have been started by “decent” pitchers, not like in some recent years. Oh well, we’ll see.
It will come down to the length of the leash. Can he contribute?
Buckle your seat belts….
Why though? He seemed perfectly happy not pitching.
Im not understanding his contract:
Both Spotrac and Cots has his contract like this:
2022: 6M salary, 0 Bonus, 10M Lux Tax
2023: 4M salary, 0 Bonus, 4M Lux Tax
How does a guy make 10M over 2 years, yet charge the team 14M in Cap space?
The Red Sox could have exercised a 2 year option for Paxton after 2022 which they did not. The value of that option must have figured into the $10M tax hit for 2022.
Boras referred to it as a “swell-opt” but it seemed to be more like three separate contracts, than one with an option. 1 yr at 6, followed by either 1 @ 4 or 2 @ 13 per. The CBT counts all guaranteed compensation, then treats it as an AAV. So he was guaranteed 10MM against a 1 year contract, so the AAV was 10MM. This year he’s essentially on a new contract that’s 1 year for 4MM. Nothing else to average into it, so the cbt is 4MM. So it’s a weird place where the CBT charged the Red Sox 4MM more than how much they paid Paxton. So basically “swell-opt” is Boras-speak for “I took Boston for a ride, weeeeee!!!”.
“charged the Red Sox 4MM more than how much they paid Paxton”
So its what ‘all in suit’ said then? 4M tack-on for ’22, if they decline the 13M option.
I still don’t understand why 2022 had a $10M tax hit. Paxton didn’t have to exercise the $4M option for 2023, but it looks like it was figured into the 2022 tax hit.
I think there was a 4M buyout the Red Sox opted for instead of taking the 13M option, and he actually did get 10M in 2022. So no matter what, he would be guaranteed 10M which they attribute to 2022. Then there was a separate 4M opt which Paxton took in 2023. And somewhere, that 4M buyout was missed when the contract was reported to the media — But that speculation on my part.
Someone suggested the 4M counted twice (in ’22 and ’23) against the cap makes no sense, and I did look for “swell opt” but cant find anything. — But who knows.
No it was a 1 year 10 million contract guaranteed money not including any options it was reported wrong some places
Reported wrong at Spotrac, Cots Contracts and even in the body of this article. Lol, thx ‘Remove’.
Nesn and spotrac both have it right genius it’s one year 10 million guaranteed
google.com/amp/s/nesn.com/2022/11/red-soxs-james-p…
spotrac.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/james-paxton-14341/
Thx for doing that work for me, I’ll let you know when I have another assignment for you.
That’s what I’m here for educating the misinformed
Red Sox got fisted by Boras.
Dont worry Yankees got fisted much harder by Boras. Btw when is Rodon making his first appearance again?
You’re worried more about the Yankees than I’ll ever be. Heh heh heh…
Rent free in your head. Which has plenty of room.
Open wide, son.
Rent free. Your head.
You’re commenting on a Red Sox post.
@RSmith Rodon is getting a special cortisone shot next week. I hear it takes about six months to take effect.
You figure that out all on your own, professor? Guess what? I’ve sat in Fenway. They don’t ask who you root for. They just take your ticket, no matter what.
All the best!
@joe.
I comment on all kinds of posts, big guy. I’m listening to a Dbacks game right now. And an Angels game too! Follow lots of teams. They have the Internet on computers now!
All the best!
“Big Guy” “they have the Internet on Computers now” “All the best”
This is like getting trolled by my dad.
Like getting schooled by him too.
Too bad he didn’t do a better job.
So cringe dude.
Why are you so sad and angry?
This dude is desperate for attention.
I’ll give him a little just to make fun of him.
Total try hard.
Loved him in Independence Day.
AND SPACEBALLS. 🙂
google.com/search?q=game+over+man+game+over+&…
Rent-Free in your head Bronx.
Happy 92nd birthday to number 24, the Say Hey Kid!
Nice! Here we go, only 7 games back of the Rays. Look forward to the Sox taking home the ALE crown and dumping the Dodgers in the World Series, again.
Sox Dynasty being built!
Putting the over under at 2.5 appearances before being placed back on the IL
I think Paxton will be fine. Not his fault he had the TJ done. And I write off the injury in spring to simply not pitching in so long. If he stay healthy, he be of value. I think they should use him as the long arm in the pen until he has time to really shake off the rust. Another 2 or starts in starts in Worcester may have been more beneficial. Like the articke says, Sox have some off days coming, so why rush it a week or 2?
DBH – I agree he could be a big contributor this year, especially the second half. The critics here seem to think whatever has happened in the recent past will always continue to happen, but quite often that is simply not the case. There are some here who wanted the Sox to release Sale and eat the remainder of his contract!!
I disagree on the rust though, he pitched in 6 AAA games and threw 186 pitches over his last two starts, he’s ready to be promoted and probably would have started Wednesday in Atlanta if not for the two days off this week.
I see a Jamie Moyer like resurgence into his late 40’s.
If the sport in question was bowling then yes 🙂
Teach him the lost art of knuckleballing. Where’s Wakefield??
YBC – This makes for a good trivia question, the last ML knuckleballer was Baltimore’s Mickey Jannis. He lasted only one game though.
Over/under on length of time that he’s active is 2 weeks.
He will be on a 25 pitch limit pitching every 15 days then he will get hurt again in July ordering at the McDonald’s drive thru and miss the rest of the year and all of 2024. No I’m not kidding. It’s going to happen.
Good timing. We are doing well right now.
Pumped to watch Big Mape!
Over/under 10 appearances?
10? Let’s see him make it through one start first!
The consensus on MLBTR was that Paxton would not pitch this year for the Red Sox, and that was wrong. The majority of the time the consensus has usually been wrong this season when it comes to anything Red Sox . So now, with opinion that he wont last long . . . Im liking his odds.
I don’t usually bother with the counting. To me, he is another chip. 100 good innings is 100 good innings. Even 80 good innings makes us a better team. It’s all about compiling a whole bunch of 1% improvements.
Wow, that was worth waiting for. Only one game, but Paxton throws pretty hard for a guy that been out for as long as he’s been out. Surprisingly good location for all the rust.