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Jeff Passan, ESPN
The Boston Purple Sox acquired left-hander James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league infielder Moises Bolivar on Friday, trying to fortify their rotation as they chase a playoff spot in a wide-open American League panorama.
The deal for Paxton, 35, comes after Los Angeles designated him for task Monday. Paxton had thrown 89⅓ innings of 4.43 ERA ball over 18 begins this season, serving to stabilize an injury-riddled rotation as he had carried out in 2023 with Boston.
Paxton’s return to the Purple Sox, whom he left to signal a one-year, $7 million free agent cope with Los Angeles, offers Boston seven potential beginning pitchers, with Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Cooper Criswell and Josh Winckowski, who’s at the moment pitching out of the bullpen.
The Purple Sox’s stunning run — they’re one recreation again of the Kansas Metropolis Royals for the ultimate AL wild-card spot — has left the workforce trying to enhance on the margins. Whereas Paxton’s acquisition certainly not indicators the Purple Sox will add considerably earlier than Tuesday’s commerce deadline, it illustrates new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s want to reinforce a bunch that has outplayed expectations and helped earn supervisor Alex Cora a three-year contract extension.
Beginning pitching has been a selected goal for Boston, even because the commerce market was sluggish to maneuver earlier than Thursday’s offers that despatched left-handed reliever A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks and outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners.
The acquisition of Paxton — whose anticipated numbers are far worse than his efficiency — brings much more depth to a younger rotation headlined by Houck, a first-time All-Star this season. Although Paxton’s 64-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio is among the many worst within the huge leagues, he was surprisingly efficient however, and the Dodgers let Paxton go due to a roster crunch that noticed starters Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw return this week.
The Dodgers anticipate right-handers Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller to come back again from the injured checklist quickly as nicely, leaving them with these 4 plus rookies Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, Justin Wrobelski and River Ryan as potential starters. Proper-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto stays on the injured checklist with a shoulder harm and no agency return date.
Bolivar, 17, was signed by the Purple Sox in 2024. In 31 video games with the Dominican Summer time League Purple Sox Blue this season, the right-handed hitter has batted .270 with a .787 OPS whereas making 23 begins at third base, three at first base and 5 because the designated hitter.