Although starting pitching depth and performance have been a trouble spot for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, James Paxton was designated for assignment at the beginning of the week.
That made room on their active and 40-man rosters for River Ryan, who made his MLB debut on Monday against the San Francisco Giants. Doing so gave the Dodgers a trade asset as several teams are in search of starting pitching help leading up to the 3 p.m. PT deadline on July 30.
Facing a one-week window since their DFA to trade Paxton, the Dodgers reportedly received widespread interest in the veteran. The Boston Red Sox in particular were one team that emerged as a potential landing spot.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Dodgers have traded Paxton to the Red Sox:
The Boston Red Sox are acquiring left-hander James Paxton in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, sources tell ESPN. Done deal.
Paxton, 35, will return to Boston, where he spent the 2023 season, after being DFA’d by the Dodgers. In 89.1 innings this season, he has a 4.43 ERA.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 26, 2024
The Dodgers received Moises Bolivar, a Red Sox prospect from their Dominican Summer League, as part of the Paxton trade.
Paxton went 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA, 4.96 FIP and 1.46 WHIP for the Dodgers. Despite the impressive record, the left-hander leads the National League with 48 walks and is striking out a career-low 6.4 batters per nine.
Paxton joined the Dodgers on a one-year, $7 million contract that included a signing bonus and performance incentives. That came after he originally agreed to a one-year contract for $11 million in a deal that was reworked amid some health concerns.
Injuries were not a problem for Paxton during his Dodgers tenure, and he earned bonuses of $600,000 each time for making a sixth, eighth, 10th, 12th and 16th start this season. Paxton also secured a $1 million bonus for making an 18th start of the year, which came Sunday against the Red Sox.
“It was tough. James is an absolute pro. I was very fortunate, we were all fortunate, to get to have him don the Dodger uniform. It’s one of those decisions that is very difficult,” manager Dave Roberts said of the Dodgers deciding to DFA Paxton.
“Trying to understand the guys we have coming back, the guys we want to get looks at, and in particular, some starters, so it was a difficult decision. He handled it like a pro.
“Brandon Gomes called him this morning and I followed up with a phone call. Like I said, he handled it great. Grateful for his time and we were very fortunate to have him.”
James Paxton returns to Red Sox
The Dodgers trading Paxton marks a reunion as he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Red Sox.
However, Paxton did not pitch in 2022 due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Paxton exercised a player option to remain with the Red Sox last season, but made just 19 starts and saw his year end early because of right knee inflammation.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
