BOSTON — Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow addressed one of the Red Sox’ top needs Friday when he acquired left-handed starter James Paxton from the Dodgers for 17-year-old minor league infielder Moises Bolivar.
“We didn’t want to walk out of the deadline without having added a starting pitcher,” Breslow said before Boston’s game against the Yankees at Fenway Park.
Breslow is looking to add a right-handed hitter and reliever as well. He also is open to adding another starting pitcher if the right opportunity presents itself before the trade deadline Tuesday at 6 p.m.
“A guy with a proven track record on this team, in this division,” Breslow said about Paxton.
Paxton posted a 4.50 ERA in 19 starts for Boston last season. He signed with the Dodgers this past offseason, then recorded a 4.47 ERA in 18 starts. Los Angeles designated him for assignment Monday, one day after he beat the Sox at Dodger Stadium. He has struggled with command. He’s tied for the NL lead with 48 walks.
“Checked a lot of boxes for us,” Breslow said. “We went into the stretch right now thinking that adding starting pitching was important for us. Able to get something done pretty early on, which is great. And it enables us to continue to look at opportunities to improve the club.”
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Breslow said Paxton — who also pitched in the AL East for the Yankees in 2019-20 — has “the chance to balance out” the starting rotation that otherwise includes all right-handers.
“It’s not that we need a lefty. It’s that bullpen-wise, it helps,” manager Alex Cora said. “Sometimes you run into these lineups like today and they’ve got a bunch of lefties. Yeah, we’ve got three lefties in the bullpen but at one point in the week, you’ve got to rely on something else. I think having him is going to help us to mix and match and help us be better over the course of the week.”
The Red Sox front office began discussing the possibility of a reunion with Paxton soon after Los Angeles designated him for assignment.
“Stuff-wise throughout the season, I think the velo of the fastball has been down but not (Sunday),” Cora said. “I think he ended up on a good note. Velocity was up.”
The 35-year-old allowed three runs, four hits and four walks while striking out seven in 5 innings in his win over the Red Sox. His four-seam fastball topped out at 96.1 mph and averaged 93.2 mph, his same fastball velo average in 89 ⅓ innings this season.
“He threw strikes with the offspeed pitches,” Cora said. “He’s a guy we know physically. Those guys (trainers) down there, they understand what they have to do for him to post every five or six days.”
Jarren Duran said about facing Paxton earlier this week, “He looks good. We kind of jumped on him a little bit early. But as the game sailed on, his velo started to get up to 96, 97. He got real comfortable. But he’s always been that guy. I remember talking to (Connor) Wong. He takes a little bit to find his release point. But once he (found) it, he was pitching really good and he looked great on the mound. So I’m sure the front office saw that. That’s probably why they were making this move.”
Duran added that he’s “super happy” to have Paxton back.
“I can’t wait to see him and start cheering on some Big Maple again,” Duran said. “I’m super excited. He’s a great person, a great pitcher and a good teammate. So he’s going to help us out a lot.”
Paxton won’t be here at Fenway Park on Friday. He should arrive sometime over the weekend.
Cora said Paxton seemed excited when he spoke with him this morning.
“At least it’s a place he understands and he knows. So good to have him,” Cora said.
Red Sox reliever Josh Winckowski also mentioned how the addition of a left-hander is important.
“The guy works really hard and I know he cares a lot about the game,” Winckowski said. “So especially — we don’t have any lefties; he’ll be our only lefty starter — so yeah, excited to see him back.”
Winckowski admitted he was surprised when he heard the Dodgers DFA’d the veteran.
“I don’t really know what their rotation looks like at the moment. I know they’ve got a bunch of talented pitchers over there,” Winckowski said. “I mean, it’s definitely surprising. Paxton for sure is a big league level starter so a little bit surprising. But yeah, hopefully, we can take full advantage of it. And I think our rotation one to five got a lot deeper.”
Red Sox All-Star starter Tanner Houck called Paxton a “leader on and off the field.”
“Ultimately, he’s another veteran that’s been around,” Houck said. “He knows everyone pretty much in this clubhouse. So it will be good to have him back.”
Houck said Paxton can serve as a role model for Boston’s relatively young pitching staff.
“I think having him around is going to be a great example-setter,” Houck said. “Somebody to watch. Watch him do his routine. Watch him do all the little things.”
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta added, “I would assume it would be more comfortable for him being traded here than other places because he’s had the experience with the trainers with the team and as a leader in the clubhouse. He’s familiar with the guys, too. So that’s all really positive about it.”
