James Paxton's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Los Angeles Dodgers lowered the guarantee in their agreement with left-hander James Paxton due to an unspecified health concern, according to sources. The one-year deal that was announced on Monday still has a maximum potential value of up to $13 million with performance and roster bonuses, but the Dodgers and Paxton's agent, Scott Boras, agreed to reduce the total guarantee from the originally reported $11 million to $7 million. The adjustment also doesn't change the Dodgers' luxury tax standing. The 35-year-old southpaw had a bounce-back season in 2023 with the Red Sox after pitching only 21 2/3 innings the previous three seasons and he still has strikeout upside when healthy, but his extensive injury history makes him only a late-round flier in fantasy for starting-pitching depth.

Free-agent left-hander James Paxton and the Los Angeles Dodgers officially agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal on Tuesday that includes a $1 million Opening Day roster bonus and another $1 million in performance-based incentives. The oft-injured 35-year-old Canadian hurler went 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA (4.68 FIP) and 1.31 WHIP with 33 walks and 101 strikeouts in 2023 for the Boston Red Sox in 19 starts, his first year pitching in the big leagues since 2021. He was sharp in the first half before posting an ERA near 7.00 in the second half while dealing with a knee injury. Paxton should be healthy in spring training and will have more fantasy upside with the move to LA if he makes the team's starting rotation, but he's also a huge health risk, having thrown only 117 2/3 innings since 2020.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly working on a one-year deal worth around $12 million with free-agent starting pitcher James Paxton, per MLB.com's Theo DeRosa. The 35-year-old lefty would add some depth to a rotation that has undergone major changes this offseason. Paxton was able to make 19 starts last season with the Red Sox, going 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 24.6% strikeout rate. Injuries have been the biggest preventative of Paxton returning to fantasy relevancy. Therefore, while the Dodgers would be a great landing spot for him, fantasy managers should be wary of trusting him in the early going.

Free-agent starting pitcher James Paxton is drawing interest from the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The veteran southpaw started 19 games for the Red Sox last season, putting up a solid 7-5 record to go along with a 4.50 ERA, 1.313 WHIP, and 101:33 K/BB over 96 innings. The 19 turns in the rotation were his most since 2019, so it was nice to see the oft-injured pitcher show some durability. He could be a nice, affordable one-year option for any team looking to bolster their starting rotation.