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The Dodgers have made big additions to their rotation this offseason, signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto and James Paxton as well as trading for Tyler Glasnow. Plus, Shohei Ohtani should be full-go on the mound in time for the 2025 season once he has fully recovered from right elbow surgery. But it’s a group that also carries a lot of uncertainty. Injuries have been a frequent nuisance for Glasnow and Paxton. Yamamoto, owner of the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history, hasn’t been tested yet at the big league level.
Beyond that trio, Walker Buehler is coming back from Tommy John surgery, Bobby Miller is entering only his second season in the Majors, and the team will be without Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin for most or all of this season after each underwent elbow surgery last year.
Kershaw will also miss a large chunk of the year; he underwent shoulder surgery in November and is expected to be sidelined until the second half of the season. But he is committed to returning at some point this summer, and that return could include Dodger blue once again.
Jan. 22: Would Paxton complete Dodgers’ starting rotation?
The additions of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow have undoubtedly upgraded the Dodgers’ starting staff. Yet the club still has some question marks behind that duo in its rotation, so they could use another starter. And it looks like they have found one
The Dodgers have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with free-agent left-hander James Paxton, according to a report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman on Monday. The club has not confirmed the deal, which includes an $11 million salary, a $1 million Opening Day roster bonus and $1 million in performance incentives.
Paxton turned in a 4.50 ERA across 19 starts for the Red Sox last season. He struck out 101 batters in 96 innings and has a solid 26.3% strikeout rate throughout his 10-year career. However, his time in the Majors has been sidetracked often by injuries. He threw just 21 2/3 innings between 2020-22. He missed the entire 2022 campaign after suffering a torn lat muscle while recovering from Tommy John surgery. His 2023 season ended in early September because of right knee inflammation.
If Los Angeles doesn’t make another addition to its rotation, it would head into Opening Day with Yoshinobu and Glasnow fronting a group that includes Paxton, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan. However, Buehler hasn’t pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2022, and Miller and Sheehan each have only one season of MLB experience under their belts. With Shohei Ohtani, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin unable to pitch most or all of 2024 due to their own arm injuries, the Dodgers needed more rotation depth even after their big-ticket acquisitions. Paxton fits that bill.