James Paxton is going back to the future after two years with the Yankees, one very good one and the other destroyed by more injury woes.
Big Maple spent his first six big-league seasons with the Seattle Mariners from 2013-18, and that’s where the power left-hander is returning. According to multiple reports, Paxton signed a one-year, $8.5-million contract with Seattle on Saturday night.
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The Western Canada reportedly had drawn interest from the Toronto Blue Jays and Mets before opting for Seattle.
Paxton, 32, probably would have landed a deal for more years and a lot more dough if his health wasn’t a concern. Last year alone, Paxton had back surgery in February (a week before the start of spring training), then after being ready to pitch by the time the pandemic-shortened season began in late July, he suffered a season-ending left flexor strain during his fifth start.
That’s not how Paxton, who has been on the injured list 10 times in eight MLB seasons, wanted to hit the free agent market for the first time.
Although there have been reports throughout the offseason that Paxton is fully healthy and looking great on the mound — one coming last week from Tigers lefty Matthew Boyd — there would be no big-money offer from anyone.
Like with the Yankees, Paxton pitched like an ace at times during his time in Seattle. His highs included a 12-5 season with a 2.98 ERA in 2017 and an 11-6 season with 208 strikeouts over 160.1 innings plus a no-hitter in 2018.
With Seattle looking to trim payroll after the ’18 season, Paxton was traded to the Yankees for three prospects — touted left-hander Justus Sheffield, promising righty Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams.
Paxton established a career-high for wins and starts pitching for the Yanks in 2019, going 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 150 2/3 innings over 29 outings. He was just 5-6 with a 4.72 ERA through July, but finished 10-0 with a 2.51 ERA over his last 11 starts.
Last year, Paxton allowed three runs over one inning in his first start on July 25, a road loss to the Washington Nationals, and he wasn’t much better before suffering his flexor issue, finishing with a 6.64 ERA with 17 runs allowed, 15 earned, over 20 1/3 innings.
But Paxton is getting another fresh start this year in his old stomping grounds, and a good season with no health issues could lead to a big payoff next winter.
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