Former New York Yankees lefty, James Paxton, is going back to the Seattle Mariners on a one-year deal, worth $8.5M. This is not the first time tonight MLB fans have seen a reunion signing. A few hours ago, Justin Turner signed back with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Paxton, 32, will be reuniting with some of his fellow teammates after being away from them for two seasons. The Mariners traded Paxton to the New York Yankees in November of 2018 for prospects Justus Sheffield, Dom Thompson-Williams, and Erik Swanson.
In his first year as a Yankee, James Paxton won 15 games and lost six in 29 starts with a 3.82 ERA. His pitching contributed to the Yankees’ attempted run at a pennant. Unfortunately, they fell short in the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros.
Though the Yankees hired a new pitching coach the next year, the pitching staff regressed heavily. Paxton struggled tremendously in his first start in the second game of the season against the Washington Nationals.
The Yankees transferred Paxton from the 10-day injured List in August of 2020. Paxton was suffering from a left flexor strain.
With injuries contributing to his struggles, the Big Maple only pitched five games for the Yanks last year, going 1-1 with a 6.64 ERA.
