James Paxton trade is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Red Sox originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox’s first move before Tuesday’s trade deadline was obvious.
They became an obvious fit for James Paxton after the Los Angeles Dodgers made the surprising decision to designate him for assignment on Monday. The veteran lefty is familiar with the organization after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Boston. For the Red Sox, Paxton checks several boxes as a lefty (their only lefty starter) who stabilizes the back end of the rotation.
Sure enough, first-year director of baseball Craig Breslow and Co. I closed the deal on Friday. They brought “Big Maple” back by sending minor league infielder Moises Bolivar to Los Angeles
While there is always a chance Bolívar could become a star, this was an easy move for Breslow to make. The Red Sox have a surplus of in-house prospects and the 17-year-old Bolivar is not among several high-profile shortstops in preparation. He’s essentially a lottery ticket that Boston could comfortably part with for a pitcher of Paxton’s caliber.
Paxton occupies a spot in the rotation that has been patched by swingmen Cooper Criswell and Josh Winckowski. The duo has filled in admirably, but adding Paxton allows them to focus on boosting a regressive bullpen — another area in need of improvement before the deadline.
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This was one of the lowest risk, high reward trades the Red Sox could have made. That said, Paxton doesn’t come without some concerns. He has battled injuries throughout his two seasons in Boston, missing all of 2022 due to Tommy John recovery and multiple stretches in 2023 due to hamstring and knee issues. Ironically, he was the Dodgers’ most durable starter this season, making 18 starts, just one less than the previous two seasons combined.
Aside from injuries, Paxton’s main concern is walks. The 35-year-old walked a National League-leading 48 batters in 89.1 innings with a 12.3 percent walk rate.
Perhaps Paxton, like the rest of the rotation, will benefit from Andrew Bailey’s presence. The Boston team far exceeded expectations with the help of their new pitching coach. There’s no reason to believe Paxton can’t follow suit.
While Paxton is a solid depth addition, fans are hoping he isn’t the only notable change at the club’s deadline. The Red Sox I still need help with throwing and a right-handed bat to give them an edge over other American League teams fighting for a Wild Card spot. As of Friday, Boston was just one game behind the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card race and 6.5 games behind in the AL East.
The 2024 MLB trade deadline is set for 6pm ET on Tuesday.
