Former Seattle Mariners ace James Paxton has been designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to reports from Robert Murray of Fansided.
This is likely in response to the Dodgers bringing back both Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw this week and isn’t necessarily an indictment of how Paxton has pitched.
He’s 8-2 this season with a 4.43 ERA which is certainly respectable, but his strikeout totals are down in a big way. He has a 6.4 K/9 ratio which is by far the lowest of his career.
At 35 years old, Paxton is no longer the flamethrower that he used to be but it would be shocking to see him get through waivers. Teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox could all use starting pitching and could all potentially be in the market for Paxton through a trade with the Dodgers.
If he did hit waivers, multiple teams would likely be interested. He’s due the prorated portion of a $7 million salary he signed before the season.
Paxton is in his 11th major league season with the Mariners, New York Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers. He missed nearly all of the 2021 season and all of the 2022 season with injury but has been a very productive pitcher when healthy.
He is 72-40 lifetime with a 3.76 ERA. He also once tossed a no-hitter for Seattle and won a career-high 15 games for New York in 2019.
