The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the premier teams in all of Major League Baseball and one of their biggest weaknesses has been their ability to pitch well. The team entered Monday’s slate of games 12th in starting pitching ERA at 3.97 as a staff. Fansided’s Robert Murray is reporting that the team has decided to DFA veteran starting pitcher James Paxton. This comes as a bit of a surprise as Paxton has done a decent job pitching this season and the Los Angeles Dodgers need some help in that department. Let’s take a deeper dive into what this means for both sides going forward.
What does this move mean for the Los Angeles Dodgers?
https://gty.im/2162737153
With the news about Dustin May being out for the remainder of the 2024 season, this comes as even more of a surprise as the Los Angeles Dodgers could have placed James Paxton in the bullpen if they wanted to keep him. However, this move signifies that reinforcements are returning off the Injured List very soon. Two of the starting pitchers that make the most sense would be Tyler Glasnow and former NL MVP winner Clayton Kershaw. The team just had no more space for James Paxton on their roster and despite not attempting to transition him to the bullpen or make a trade, they cut bait with the career 72-game winner.
What does this move mean for James Paxton?
https://gty.im/2162344531
James Paxton has proven to be a quality starting pitcher as he has continued to pitch at a decent level. So far this season in 18 starts, he is 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.455 WHIP in 89.1 innings. His one flaw has been the free passes as his 48 walks are the most in the National League in third in Major League Baseball.
However, he can still pitch quality innings and once he clears waivers, he will be a free agent who can sign for the league minimum. That also means a team that needs to trade for a starting pitcher could sign him for the league minimum salary and not lose any draft picks in the process.
Paxton has pitched in the big markets with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees so he can pitch on the big stage and be a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher for a team trying to make the playoffs. Do not be surprised to see teams like the Baltimore Orioles or the Arizona Diamondbacks take a flyer on a veteran that can at worst eat up innings. Expect “Big Maple” to find a home very soon after the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to release him from their roster.
