Tag: starting rotation

Nathan Eovaldi leaves Red Sox, agrees to two-year, $34 million deal with Rangers

Nathan Eovaldi’s time with the Red Sox has apparently come to an end.

The veteran right-hander has agreed to sign with the Rangers, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that it is a two-year, $34 million contract that includes a vesting option for 2025 as well as performance bonuses that can take the value of the deal — which is pending a physical — even higher.

Going into further detail, Eovaldi can earn up to $3 million in bonuses per year if he reaches 160 innings, per Passan. The third-year option is dependent on how many innings he pitches over the next two seasons. If he can reach the 300-inning plateau from 2023-2024, he will receive a $20 million player option in 2025. In total, Eovaldi could earn up to $63 million over the next three years.

Eovaldi, who turns 33 in February, became a free agent for the third time in his career last month after spending the better part of the last five seasons in Boston. The Red Sox never approached Eovaldi about a possible contract extension during the 2022 regular season but did express interest in a reunion once the World Series ended and the offseason began.

In addition to extending Eovaldi a $19.65 million qualifying offer, the Red Sox also gave him a multi-year contract offer. The righty rejected both and instead elected to hit the open market.

Recent reports suggested that other teams were showing more interest in Eovaldi than the Red Sox were. Since Eovaldi will now be taking his talents to Texas, Boston will receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round of next year’s amateur draft.

Originally acquired from the Rays ahead of the 2018 trade deadline, Eovaldi played a key role in helping the Red Sox win a World Series title that October. He posted a 3.33 ERA (2.88 FIP) over 12 appearances (11 starts, 54 innings) down the stretch in the regular season and then pitched to a 1.61 ERA (2.71 FIP) in the postseason. His most memorable outing during that run came in Game 3 of the World Series against the Dodgers, when he tossed six one-run innings of relief in a loss in an effort to preserve the Boston bullpen.

After needing just five games to triumph over the Dodgers in the Fall Classic, the Red Sox signed Eovaldi to a four-year, $68 million deal at the Winter Meetings that December.

Eovaldi’s first full season in Boston was marred by injuries, but he bounced back in 2020 and then put together a career year in 2021 by forging a 3.75 ERA (2.79 FIP) with 195 strikeouts to 35 walks over 32 starts (182 1/3 innings). He made his first All-Star team that summer and wound up finishing fourth in American League Cy Young voting.

This past season, Eovaldi proved to be effective yet again. He produced a respectable 3.87 ERA (4.30 FIP) and walked just 4.4 percent of the batters he faced. But he was limited to just 20 starts spanning 109 1/3 innings of work due to bouts with lower back and right shoulder inflammation that required two separate stints on the injured list. Those injuries may have contributed to a dip in his fastball velocity this year.

All told, Eovaldi compiled a lifetime 4.05 ERA (3.73 FIP) in 96 career appearances (461 1/2 innings) across five seasons with the Red Sox. He served as Boston’s Jimmy Fund captain over the last two years and was the club’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2021.

By agreeing to a deal with the Rangers, Eovaldi will be returning home to Texas. The Houston-area native is slated to join a starting rotation mix in Arlington that includes fellow free agent additions Jacob deGrom and Andrew Heaney, former teammate Martin Perez, and Jon Gray, among others. He will also be reunited with former Red Sox bench coach Will Venable, who left Alex Cora’s staff to become associate manager under Bruce Bochy last month.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have now lost two members of their 2022 starting rotation to free agency in the same day. Just hours before news of Eovaldi’s agreement with the Rangers broke, it was revealed that left-hander Rich Hill had agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Pirates.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox have made it clear that they would like to add a starter or two to a rotation mix that is projected to include Chris Sale, James Paxton, Brayan Bello, and Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, and possibly even Tanner Houck heading into the 2023 campaign.

While Eovaldi and Hill are off the table, Michael Wacha — who made 23 starts for Boston in 2022 — remains unsigned. Other options available via free agency include Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke, and Corey Kluber, who has already been linked to the Red Sox this winter.

(Picture of Nathan Eovaldi: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Rich Hill leaves Red Sox, agrees to one-year, $8 million deal with Pirates

Rich Hill’s latest stint with the Red Sox appears to be over.

The veteran left-hander has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with the Pirates, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is pending a physical.

Hill, who turns 43 in March, inked a one-year pact with the Red Sox last December. It marked the seventh time the Milton, Mass. native had signed with his hometown team as a free agent.

In 26 starts for Boston this past season, Hill posted a 4.27 ERA and 3.92 FIP with 109 strikeouts to 37 walks over 124 1/3 innings of work. That includes a 2.36 ERA (3.23 FIP) in his final five starts (26 2/3 innings) from September 11 through October 3.

Hill expressed interest in returning to the Red Sox in 2023 but never received a formal contract offer from the club, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford. The lefty will instead take his talents to Pittsburgh, where he will reunite with former Boston general manager Ben Cherington. The $8 million Hill will receive next season represents a 60 percent raise from the $5 million he earned in 2022.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Hill considered retiring from baseball in 2023 or waiting until the second half of the season to sign with a contending team. Although the Pirates — who have lost 100 or more games in each of the last two seasons — are in the middle of a rebuild, they could look to flip the southpaw for prospects ahead of next summer’s trade deadline.

In the meantime, Hill is slated to join a starting rotation mix in Pittsburgh that includes the likes of Mitch Keller, JT Brubaker, Roansy Contreras, and Vince Velazquez.

The Pirates will mark Hill’s 12th different team over the course of a 19-year big-league career. He debuted for the Cubs in 2005 and has since pitched for the Orioles, Red Sox, Guardians, Angels, Yankees, Athletics, Dodgers, Twins, Rays, and Mets.

Hill becomes the latest Red Sox free agent to sign elsewhere this winter. Xander Bogaerts (Padres), J.D. Martinez (Dodgers), and Matt Strahm (Phillies) have all left for different clubs in recent weeks. Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha are among those who remain unsigned.

(Picture of Rich Hill: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Red Sox rumors: Michael Wacha drawing interest from Orioles, per report

The Orioles are showing continued interest in Red Sox free agent Michael Wacha, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Morosi notes that Wacha’s market could move quickly now that fellow free agent starters Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen have reportedly agreed to deals with the Dodgers and Tigers, respectively.

Wacha, 31, enjoyed a productive season with the Red Sox after signing a one-year, $7 million deal with the club last November. In 23 starts for Boston, the veteran right-hander posted a 3.32 ERA and 4.14 FIP with 104 strikeouts to 31 walks over 127 2/3 innings of work.

While those numbers are undoubtedly solid, Wacha did land on the injured list twice because of left intercostal irritation in May and then because of right shoulder inflammation in early July. Upon returning from the IL for the second and final time in mid-August, Wacha pitched to a 4.11 ERA (4.36 FIP) in 10 starts (57 innings) to close out his season.

Over the course of the 2022 campaign, Wacha relied on a five-pitch mix that consisted of a four-seam fastball that averaged 93 mph, a changeup that averaged 84.3 mph, a cutter that averaged 88.8 mph, a sinker that averaged 92.6 mph, and a curveball that averaged 74.7 mph. The changeup was by far his most effective offering, as the 6-foot-6, 215-pound hurler held opposing hitters to a .176 expected batting average with it. According to Baseball Savant, Wacha stood out in two statistical categories this season. His 6.0 percent walk rate ranked in the 79th percentile of the league while his 35.4 percent hard-hit rate ranked in the 70th percentile.

A former first-round pick of the Cardinals who spent the first seven seasons of his major-league career in St. Louis, Wacha — a client of CAA Sports — is surely looking to cash in and land a multi-year deal this winter after having to settle for one-year pacts with the Mets, Rays, and Red Sox in each of the last three offseasons. The Texas A&M product is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive a two-year, $16 million contract in free agency.

Coming off their first winning season since 2016, the Orioles appear to be a team on the rise in the American League East. So far this offseason, Baltimore — under general manager Mike Elias — has signed veteran starter Kyle Gibson to a one-year, $10 million deal. It also has top prospect Grayson Rodriguez waiting in the wings to join a rotation mix that should include Gibson, Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, Austin Voth, Mike Baumann, DL Hall, and the rehabbing John Means, among others.

Wacha, who does not turn 32 until July, would join Gibson in providing the Orioles with some stability and experience out of the rotation if he can stay healthy. The Red Sox did not extend Wacha a qualifying offer last month, meaning the righty is not attached to any sort of draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere.

Boston did, however, issue a qualifying offer to Nathan Eovaldi, who rejected it and is now drawing interest from another division rival in the Yankees. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said at last week’s Winter Meetings in San Diego that he still looking to add a starter or two, so reunions with one or both of Eovaldi and Wacha certainly cannot be ruled out yet.

(Picture of Michael Wacha: G Fiume/Getty Images)

Red Sox not showing as much interest in Nathan Eovaldi than other teams, per report

Other teams are showing more interest in Nathan Eovaldi than the level currently displayed by the Red Sox, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford.

Eovaldi, who turns 33 in February, became a free agent last month after the four-year, $68 million million deal he signed in December 2018 expired. Shortly before he hit the open market, the Red Sox extended Eovaldi a $19.65 million qualifying offer in addition to a multi-year contract offer. The right-hander rejected both.

Since the Red Sox did issue a qualifying offer to Eovaldi, they would receive draft pick compensation if he were to sign elsewhere. The fact that the 32-year-old is tied to the forfeiture of draft pick(s) could be what is suppressing his market.

The clubs that are interested in Eovaldi are viewed as potential contenders, per Bradford. The Mets were believed to be in the mix for the righty’s services but have since bolstered their starting rotation by signing Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga. The same can be said to some degree about the Blue Jays as well.

The Red Sox, for their part, “would still like to add a starter or two,” according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. As things stand now, candidates for Boston’s Opening Day starting rotation next year include Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Chris Sale, James Paxton, Garrett Whitlock, and maybe even Tanner Houck.

In order to supplement that group, the Sox have pursued starting pitching this offseason. They made offers to left-hander Andrew Heaney and right-hander Zach Eflin, who both elected to sign elsewhere so that they can pitch closer to home. They have also been in contact with Corey Kluber and the aforementioned Senga, who reportedly agreed to a five-year, $75 million deal with the Mets late Saturday night.

At the Winter Meetings in San Diego last week, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters (including Cotillo and Bradford) that the Red Sox were looking to add consistency to their rotation and that they were interested in bringing back Eovaldi.

“I think everybody knows the situation,” Bloom said. “There has been contact and there has been mutual desire for him to come back here. But nothing to report on that front.”

Originally acquired from the Rays ahead of the 2018 trade deadline, Eovaldi has proven to be a key member of the Red Sox’ starting rotation when healthy over the last 4 1/2 years. After an injury-marred 2019, Eovaldi pitched to a 3.72 ERA during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. He then enjoyed a career year in 2021 by posting a 3.75 ERA in 32 starts (182 2/3 innings), making his first All-Star team, and finishing fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting.

This past season, Eovaldi was limited to just 20 starts due to lower back and right shoulder inflammation. Over 109 1/3 innings of work, Eovaldi flashed diminished fastball velocity but still produced a respectable 3.87 ERA and 103:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 4.4 percent walk rate ranked in the 95th percentile of the league, per Baseball Savant.

(Picture of Nathan Eovaldi: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox showing interest in Corey Kluber

The Red Sox have had some contact with free agent starting pitcher Corey Kluber this winter, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Kluber, 36, makes his offseason home in Winchester, Mass., where his wife, Amanda, is from. The veteran right-hander has discussed potential deals with the Red Sox in each of his last two trips to free agency before ultimately deciding to sign elsewhere.

In January 2021, Kluber inked a one-year deal with the Yankees. After posting a 3.83 ERA in 16 starts (80 innings) for New York, the righty signed another one-year pact with the Rays last December and pitched to a 4.34 ERA with 139 strikeouts to just 21 walks over 31 starts (164 innings) for Tampa Bay this past season.

Kluber may no longer the dominant ace who won two Cy Young Awards in a span of four seasons with the Guardians from 2014-2017. But the three-time All Star has seemingly expressed a desire to pitch in Boston and could still provide the Red Sox with value as a steady rotation presence.

“I think they’re well aware of how I feel [about pitching close to home],” Kluber told Speier.

So far this offseason, the Red Sox have worked to solidify their starting rotation. They welcomed James Paxton back after he exercised his $4 million player option and revealed at the GM meetings that they planned on using Garrett Whitlock as a starter next season. Speier notes that the club has shown interest in free agent lefty Andrew Heaney and remains in contact with Nathan Eovaldi about a potential multi-year deal to return to Boston.

The Red Sox, according to Speier,  are “expected to be one of the biggest spenders this winter.” But that spending is expected to be spread across several areas, meaning those within the industry are not anticipating high-end free agent starters such as Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodon, or Chris Bassitt to be pursued by Boston anytime soon. Instead, it seems as though chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. are focused on veteran, mid-rotation options like Eovaldi, Heaney, and Kluber.

Kluber, who turns 37 in April, could land a one-year deal or a one-year deal with an option attached in free agency this winter. He earned a base salary of $8 million with the Rays this season and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive $12 million in 2023.

Back in July, Kluber — who was born in Alabama — told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo that he enjoyed spending his winters in Massachisetts and that Fenway Park was one of his favorite places to visit while on the road during the baseball season.

“I think it’s an awesome city. I think it’s a great place,” he said. “During the summer time, during baseball season, it’s hard to find a better place. I enjoy going there as a visitor. Fenway is one of, if not my favorite park in the big leagues. Just the environment, the history of it, all that sort of stuff. I just think it’s a very cool place.”

(Picture of Corey Kluber: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Kutter Crawford on 15-day injured list with right shoulder impingement

The Red Sox have placed right-hander Kutter Crawford on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. In a corresponding move, fellow rookie righty was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced earlier Sunday morning.

Crawford was originally slated to start Sunday’s series finale against the Rangers at Fenway Park. He was instead scratched after experiencing shoulder soreness. The 26-year-old’s stint on the injured list is backdated to September 1, so he will first be eligible to return when the Red Sox open a three-game weekend series with the Royals on Sept. 16.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) prior to Sunday’s 5-2 win over Texas, Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed optimism that Crawford would only require the minimum 15 dats on the injured list.

Crawford, who last pitched in Minnesota on Tuesday, has posted a 5.47 ERA and 4.35 FIP with 77 strikeouts to 29 walks over 21 appearances (12 starts) spanning 77 1/3 innings of work for Boston this season. While there have been some impressive stretches, he has gotten tagged for 18 runs (17 earned) in his last three starts (12 2/3 innings) dating back to August 19. That is good for an ERA of 12.08.

With Crawford sidelined for the time being, Winckowski took his spot in the starting rotation on Sunday. The 24-year-old allowed two runs on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts over four innings of work.

Both of those runs came right away in the top of the first, but Winckowski settled down and tossed three consecutive scoreless frames to end his day on a more positive note. He finished with a final pitch count of 82 (47 strikes) and lowered his ERA to 5.75, though he did not factor into the decision.

As it turns out, Winckowski’s latest big-league stint may be short-lived. As Cotillo reports, the Red Sox will need to clear a roster spot for reliever Zack Kelly, who was placed on the paternity leave list on Friday.

Kelly and his wife, Brittany, have since welcomed their first child. The 27-year-old is expected to re-join the Red Sox in St. Petersburg on Monday ahead of their upcoming series against the Rays.

That being said, it appears as though Winckowski will be optioned back to Worcester when Kelly is activated from the paternity leave list at some point on Monday. The Red Sox have three off days within the next two weeks, so they should be able to operate with a four-man starting rotation for the time being.

(Picture of Kutter Crawford: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox scratch Kutter Crawford from scheduled start on Sunday due to shoulder soreness

When the Red Sox go for a four-game sweep of the Rangers on Sunday afternoon, right-hander Kutter Crawford will not take the Fenway Park mound as originally planned.

Crawford has instead been scratched from his start due to shoulder soreness, manager Alex Cora said following Saturday’s 5-3 win over Texas. Boston has yet to announce who will start in his place on Sunday.

The shoulder soreness Crawford is currently experiencing stems from him playing catch on Friday. The decision to scratch the 26-year-old was made out of an abundance of caution, as the Red Sox will know more about his status later Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

“He wasn’t moving well today after he played catch yesterday so we’re not going to push him,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) while adding that a stint on the injured list is a possibility.

With Crawford unable to go on Sunday, fellow righty Josh Winckowski is a candidate to start in his place. The 24-year-old was optioned to Triple-A Worcester on August 24, but has since been added to the big-league club’s taxi squad.

Winckowski last pitched for the WooSox one week ago Sunday, allowing four earned runs on five hits, three walks, and four strikeouts over four innings against the Syracuse Mets. In 13 starts for Boston this season, the 6-foot-4, 202-pound hurler owns an ERA of 5.83.

Crawford, who last pitched for the Red Sox in Minnesota on Tuesday, has posted a 5.47 ERA and 4.35 FIP with 77 strikeouts to 29 walks over 21 appearances (12 starts) spanning 77 1/3 innings of work this season. He has been tagged for 18 runs (17 earned) in his last three starts (12 2/3 innings) dating back Aug. 19.

As Cotillo suggested, Winckowski will likely be called up from Worcester if Crawford does indeed require a stay on the injured list. If he does not, Boston could elect to go in the direction of a bullpen game for Sunday’s series finale.

(Picture of Kutter Crawford: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Nathan Eovaldi will not start for Red Sox on Tuesday, could be headed for injured list

Nathan Eovaldi will not make his next scheduled start for the Red Sox on Tuesday, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) in Williamsport, Pa. earlier Sunday afternoon.

Eovaldi, who had his last turn through the rotation skipped because of a sore right trapezius muscle, has not bounced back the way the Red Sox were hoping and will therefore not be available for Tuesday’s series opener against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. It remains to be seen if he will require a stint on the injured list.

“Nate is not going to start on Tuesday,” Cora said. “He hasn’t been able to bounce back in the same area, the trap, kind of, like, in there. IL, we don’t know yet. But he won’t start on Tuesday. That’s where we’re at.”

Eovaldi last pitched against the Yankees on August 12, allowing two runs on eight hits, two walks, and three strikeouts over six innings of work. The veteran right-hander also flashed diminished velocity, averaging just 94.4 mph with his four-seam fastball, which was down from his yearly average of 95.9 mph.

When it was revealed that Eovaldi would not start against the Pirates last Thursday, the 32-year-old hurler said he first experienced the soreness around his right trap a few days after his most-recent outing. He also indicated that, if it were up to him, he could have pitched in Pittsburgh.

“But we’re playing it safe,” said Eovaldi, via The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “I’m just going to skip this turn and be ready to go Tuesday against Toronto.”

That will no longer be the case, though Eovaldi remains optimistic he can avoid the injured list.

“It’s frustrating. I feel like it’s going a little slower than we anticipated but I’m feeling a lot better,” Eovaldi told Browne on Sunday. “Every day, it’s just how can we make sure that I’m 100 percent especially going down the road for this next stretch. That’s the main goal, to avoid [the IL].”

Fellow right-hander Josh Winckowski wound up starting in Eovaldi’s place on Thursday and got rocked for seven runs over five innings. The 24-year-old rookie was optioned to Triple-A Worcester that same night.

Earlier this season, Eovaldi spent more than a month on the injured list due to low back inflammation. Since returning on July 15, he has posted a 6.32 ERA and 4.43 FIP with 24 strikeouts to eight walks over his last six starts and 31 1/3 innings. That includes a 2.95 ERA in the month of August.

If Eovaldi winds up going on the injured list again, Winckowski would be a logical choice to replace him in Boston’s starting rotation. Although he was only optioned three days ago, Winckowski can be recalled at any time as long as he is replacing an injured player. In this case, that would be Eovaldi.

(Picture of Nathan Eovaldi: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox scratch Nathan Eovaldi from Thursday start with sore trapezius muscle; Josh Winckowski will face Pirates in his place

Nathan Eovaldi was scheduled to make his 19th start of the season for the Red Sox in Thursday’s series finale against the Pirates. That will no longer be the case.

Following Boston’s 8-3 win over Pittsburgh at PNC Park on Wednesday night, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham) that Eovaldi has been scratched from his start due to a sore trapezius muscle. Fellow right-hander Josh Winckowski will pitch in his place.

Winckowski was originally slated to work in relief of veteran left-hander Rich Hill, who allowed two runs over five solid innings, on Wednesday. Cora instead opted to have Ryan Brasier, Hirokazu Sawamura, and newcomer Jeurys Familia record the final 12 outs of the Sox’ series-clinching victory.

Eovaldi, meanwhile, last pitched against the Yankees on Friday, yielding two runs on eight hits, two walks, and three strikeouts across six innings. The 32-year-old missed time on the injured list earlier this season because of low back inflammation. Since returning on July 15, he has posted a 6.32 ERA (4.42 FIP) with 24 strikeouts to eight walks in his last six starts while showing diminished fastball velocity.

If it were up to Eovaldi, he would pitch on Thursday. But the Red Sox are playing it safe and will have him skip his next turn through the rotation. He is now lined up to start against the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

“I feel I feel like I could pitch [Thursday], but we’re playing it safe,” Eovaldi said. “Just going to skip this turn and be ready to go Tuesday against Toronto. I feel like I could pitch, but we don’t know how I’ll rebound afterward. So, we’re just trying to be cautious right now.”

Winckowski last pitched for Boston last Thursday. The 24-year-old rookie made his major-league debut in late May and has since produced a 4.69 ERA and 4.94 FIP to go along with 34 strikeouts to 20 walks over 11 starts spanning 55 2/3 innings of work.

Following Thursday night’s finale in Pittsburgh, the Red Sox will travel to Baltimore to take on the Orioles in a three-game weekend series. Righties Kutter Crawford and Michael Wacha will start the first two games at Camden Yards, while fellow righty Nick Pivetta will start the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa. on Sunday.

(Picture of Nathan Eovaldi: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ James Paxton set to begin rehab assignment in Florida Complex League on Thursday

Red Sox left-hander James Paxton will make his organizational debut when he starts a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Thursday, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Paxton, per Speier, is slated to pitch three innings when the FCL Red Sox take on the FCL Rays at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. It will be his first start at any level since April 6 of last year.

Then a member of the Mariners, Paxton tore his left ulnar collateral ligament in the second inning of his start against the White Sox. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery one week later.

Boston signed the 33-year-old southpaw to a unique one-year, $6 million contract last December. The deal includes a two-year, $26 million club option that the Red Sox can pick up at the end of the season. If they decline, Paxton could then exercise a $4 million player option for the 2023 campaign.

While injuries have hindered him throughout his big-league career, Paxton has proven to be an effective starer when healthy. With the Yankees in 2019, for instance, the Canadian-born hurler posted a 3.82 ERA and 3.86 FIP with 186 strikeouts to 55 walks over 29 starts spanning 150 2/3 innings of work. He has been limited to just six outings since then because of injury.

It remains to be seen how many rehab appearances Paxton will need before he is able to join the Red Sox’ starting rotation. Last year, fellow lefty Chris Sale made five starts across three levels while rehabbing from Tommy John before making his season debut for Boston on August 14.

Using that same sort of template, Paxton could potentially be back in the majors by early September, though that is no sure thing. In the meantime, it should be interesting to see how Paxton responds as he returns to competitive action. Last April, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder sat between 92-96 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also traditionally works with a curveball, cutter, and changeup.

When the time comes for the Red Sox to activate Paxton, they will presumably need to clear a spot on their 40-man roster since he has been on the 60-day injured list since March.

(Picture of James Paxton: Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)