Signing James Paxton
Signing James Paxton to a one-year deal with a two-year option was another strategic move that failed to make the jump from theory to reality.
While making his first rehab appearance since his April 2021 Tommy John surgery earlier this month, Paxton suffered a Grade 2 lat strain, ending his season after making only two outs.
The Sox always knew that Paxton would miss a significant portion of the season, but they gave him $10M in guaranteed money anyway, banking on the hope that he’d return and pitch like he had for the Seattle Mariners in the mid-2010s.
It’s bad enough that the Sox just gambled $10M away, but Paxton’s agent, Scott Boras, negotiated what he calls a “swellopt” deal that included a two-year, $26M club option. And if the Sox decline that, Paxton has a one-year, $4M player option for 2023, which he would likely exercise, given that many teams won’t want to give him a chance after so much missed time.