Report: Red Sox sign Paxton to 1-year, $10M deal

The Boston Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $10-million deal with left-handed starter James Paxton, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The deal could reach $35 million if the two-year option for 2023-24 is exercised, sources told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

Injuries have limited Paxton to just 21 2/3 innings over the last two seasons. He dealt with a flexor strain during the shortened 2020 campaign and made just one start in 2021 before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in April. Paxton is recovering but is expected to pitch at some point in 2022.

The best stretch of the 33-year-old's career came between 2016-2019 while pitching for the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. He posted a 3.60 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 667 strikeouts over 568 innings (101 starts). Paxton also threw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.

Durability has always been a key concern for Paxton, as he's never thrown more than 160 1/3 innings in a single season.