Yanks deal for Mariners ace
Canadian star Paxton acquired for trio of prospects
NEW YORK — James Paxton spent the first two months of the 2016 season in the minor leagues after an awful spring training caused his demotion.
When he returned to the majors, he quickly emerged as the Mariners’ ace, and now the Yankees hope he can bolster the thin rotation that contributed to New York’s loss to Boston in the AL Division Series. New York acquired the 30-year-old left-hander from the rebuilding Seattle Mariners on Monday for top prospect Justus Sheffield and two other minor leaguers.
“I think I’ll be a great fit. They seem very committed to winning, and so am I,” Paxton said.
New York sent the left-handed Sheffield to the Mariners along with right-hander Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom ThompsonWilliams.
Paxton turned 30 on Nov. 6 and went 11-6 with a 3.76 ERA in 28 starts last season, including a 16strikeout start against Oakland on May 2 and a no-hitter at Toronto six days later. He struck out 208 and walked 42 in a career-high 160 1/3 innings, allowing 23 home runs.
Paxton, from Ladner, B.C., is 4126 in six major league seasons, making six trips to the disabled list in the last five years. He missed nearly four months with a strained left latissimus dorsi muscle in 2014, 3 1/2 months with a strained tendon in left middle finger in 2015, 10 days with a bruised left elbow in 2016, 3 1/2 weeks with a strained left forearm and a month with a strained left pectoral muscle in 2017, and 2 1/2 weeks with lower back inflammation this year.
“I continue to try to work towards being healthy for an entire season,” he said. “All the injuries that I’ve had haven’t reoccurred. I’ve learned how to make sure those things don’t happen again through exercise or whatever.”
When he went to Triple-A two years ago, he worked with former big league pitcher Lance Painter, who told him to drop his arm angle back to three-quarters. When Paxton returned to the Mariners, he studied reading swings with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr.
“It’s taken me a little longer I think in my career because I have had so much time off,” Paxton said. “But having those larger chunks the last couple years has really allowed me to come into my own and really make some big strides, and I look forward to continuing to make big strides in my game. I think that my best baseball is still to come.”
A proud Canadian, Paxton is also known for keeping his composure as a bald eagle mistakenly landed on his shoulder prior to a start at Minnesota in April.
He joins a rotation projected to include right-handers Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka and left-hander CC Sabathia. General manager Brian Cashman wants to add at least one more starter, address the shortstop opening created by Didi Gregorius’ elbow surgery and add to his bullpen.
Paxton made $4.9 million last season and is eligible for salary arbitration. He can become a free agent after the 2020 season.