James Paxton, a left-hander, has agreed to a $11 million contract with the Dodgers, according to an AP source.
The deal was contingent upon a satisfactory physical examination, thus the speaker spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday.
If Paxton stays healthy in the early going and starts at least 20 games, he could make as much as $13 million.
He becomes a part of a Dodgers rotation that is expected to feature Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two other recent arrivals, Walker Buehler, who is making a comeback from Tommy John surgery, and Bobby Miller or Emmet Sheehan.
With a $1,246,687,500 commitment to two-way star Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández, Los Angeles has been baseball’s highest spender this offseason.
Paxton receives a $8 million salary plus a $3 million signing bonus, which is due by February 7th assuming the commissioner’s office signs and approves the contract.
If Paxton is on the active roster on opening day, he will receive a $1 million bonus. If he is not on the active roster by April 15, he may trigger a $500,000 bonus.
Paxton is eligible for performance bonuses of $1 million if he starts at position 16 or 18, $250,000 for each, and $500,000 for 20.
Left-hander Paxton, 35, had a 7.50 ERA and a 7-5 record in his lone season with the Boston Red Sox last year. On March 3, he started his first spring training session and hurt his right hamstring. He didn’t play in a game until May 12. Paxton missed games after September 1 due to soreness in his right knee.
Before the 2021 season, Paxton inked a one-year, $8.5 million deal with Seattle. He ended his first start on April 6 and underwent Tommy John surgery eight days later. He returned to make seven minor league appearances during the end of the 2022 season after signing a $10 million, two-year contract with Boston.
Over seven major league seasons with Seattle (2013–18), the New York Yankees (2019–20), and Boston, Paxton is 64–38 with a 3.69 ERA in 156 starts.