Just a couple of weeks since Eduardo Rodriguez departed for the Detroit Tigers, the Boston Red Sox have found his replacement. Veteran left-hander James Paxton is in agreement with the team on a one-year, $10 million deal, Per Jeff Passan:
Left-hander James Paxton and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a one-year, $10 million contract with a two-year club option, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Paxton, 33, is recovering from Tommy John surgery and should be back pitching in 2022. @chad_dey was on it.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 1, 2021
Of course, this is a little bit dicey for the Red Sox because as mentioned, he's coming off Tommy John. Paxton went back to the Seattle Mariners last winter after coming up to the big leagues with them, but he instantly got hurt and missed the entire season.
Nevertheless, the Canadian has been relatively consistent throughout his career, posting a 3.59 ERA. Injuries are a common occurrence for him though, also dealing with lingering back issues during his time with the New York Yankees, who brought Paxton in from Seattle in 2018.
For the Red Sox, this is definitely a bit of a gamble if Paxton can't stay healthy. He threw just 20.1 innings in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. His last season where he actually stayed on the mound was in 2019.
Boston needed to go out and sign another left-handed starter to replace E-Rod, who proved to be a key piece of Alex Cora's rotation. Hopefully, Paxton can find his best with the Red Sox and help this team make another run in 2022. If he does pitch well enough, Paxton has a club option for another two seasons.
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