Just days before the start of spring training, it appears Big Maple has returned to where it all began.
The Mariners have reportedly agreed to a deal with left-handed pitcher James Paxton, according to Sportsnet’s Chad Dey. Paxton will sign a one-year deal worth $8.5 million, with bonuses worth an additional $1.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
A native Canadian, the Blue Jays reportedly had regular contact with Paxton during the offseason, according to Dey, though they never offered a contract.
Paxton, 32, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Mariners in 2010 and debuted in 2013. He pitched for Seattle for six seasons, posting a 42-26 record with a 3.42 ERA in 102 starts. He was traded to the Yankees prior to the 2019 season, and went 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA in 34 starts in New York.
Injuries limited Paxton to just five games in 2020 and led to diminished results, as he posted a 6.64 ERA in 20.1 innings. Prior to last season, Paxton had never posted an ERA above 3.90. He’s also never pitched enough innings to qualify for an ERA title, topping out at 160.1 innings in 2018.
Paxton will join a Mariners rotation that did not lose anybody from last season. Led by Marco Gonzales and Justus Sheffield, Seattle starters ranked ninth last season in combined fWAR (5.1) and eighth in innings pitched (304).
