Yankees trade for James Paxton

[a700hitter]

Details to follow.

 

Edit:

 

The Yankees have struck a deal to acquire lefty James Paxton from the Mariners, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield is coming to Seattle in return, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Completing the return are outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams and righty Erik Swanson, per Corey Brock of The Athletic (via Twitter).

This is the first major move of the winter, bringing a top-shelf starter to a New York club that has long been rumored to be seeking to boost its rotation. Having already inked CC Sabathia earlier in the winter, the Yanks now appear unlikely to pursue more than one additional starter, though they’ll still have ample financial flexibility to go after any available pitchers.

Edited November 19, 2018 by a700hitter

[a700hitter]

The Yankees needed to address starting pitching which is their biggest need.

[Station 13]

M's got hosed. What an awful return.

[bkzwhitestrican]

The Yankees never seemed as high on Sheffield as all of the scouting reports. We'll see if this one comes back to bite them.

 

But for the 2019 season, Paxton is definitely a huge upgrade to the rotation. Hopefully he can stay healthy for a whole year. I don't think he's ever done that in the majors.

Edited November 19, 2018 by bkzwhitestrican

[jacksonianmarch]

Huge move. We deal off Sheffield and replace him with Paxton.

[a700hitter]

M's got hosed. What an awful return.

Cashman is no fool.

[a700hitter]

Paxton has never been durable. His career high in innings is 160 in 2018. He is 30 years old.

[jacksonianmarch]

No, he hasn’t been. He’s had all sorts of ailments. The hope is he can stay healthy. He’s a dominant left handed arm when he’s out there

[Youk Of The Nation]

Paxton for a few minor leaguers? In the words of Aroldis Chapman's lawyer, you can't beat that.

[a700hitter]

Paxton for a few minor leaguers? In the words of Aroldis Chapman's lawyer, you can't beat that.

They are inching toward the cliff.

[moonslav59]

Two arb years left (est $8.5M in 2019).

 

Not bad at all.

[jacksonianmarch]

DTW had a great year topping out in High A, but he was 24 and way older than his competition.

 

I like Swanson and he may slot into their rotation as early as this year. But he’s a sinker slider guy with limited upside.

 

I loved Sheffield, but his command needed time to refine and that just wasn’t gonna happen in the majors. Plus, his small stature and high velocity makes me concerned he will be hurt.

 

Either way, an appropriate package for an ace level talent with top notch per inning production with injury concerns. Paxton immediately slots in at or near the top of the rotation and gives us a top 3 that rivals many teams in the game, especially if Severino can avoid the late season swoons of the last two seasons. Also, Paxton offers us a rare left handed power starter, which should help us against Boston, who surprisingly struggle vs lefties.

 

In terms of money, Paxton is projected to earn what Gray will earn. If we are successful in moving Gray for a package of prospects, we will essentially help to rebuild the farm while also trading two years of Paxton for one year of Gray.

[a700hitter]

DTW had a great year topping out in High A, but he was 24 and way older than his competition.

 

I like Swanson and he may slot into their rotation as early as this year. But he’s a sinker slider guy with limited upside.

 

I loved Sheffield, but his command needed time to refine and that just wasn’t gonna happen in the majors. Plus, his small stature and high velocity makes me concerned he will be hurt.

 

Either way, an appropriate package for an ace level talent with top notch per inning production with injury concerns. Paxton immediately slots in at or near the top of the rotation and gives us a top 3 that rivals many teams in the game, especially if Severino can avoid the late season swoons of the last two seasons. Also, Paxton offers us a rare left handed power starter, which should help us against Boston, who surprisingly struggle vs lefties.

 

In terms of money, Paxton is projected to earn what Gray will earn. If we are successful in moving Gray for a package of prospects, we will essentially help to rebuild the farm while also trading two years of Paxton for one year of Gray.

You will get bupkis for Gray. He stinks, and the word is out.

[jacksonianmarch]

To the contrary, I think we can get a top 100 prospect for Gray. He stunk last year.....almost exclusively in Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. Outside of those two fields, his ERA was under 2.6 with solid peripherals. I see him going to the Brewers, a team without top notch starting pitching, but rode a pen and a lineup to game 7 of the NLCS. And a team that doesn’t see Boston or NYY outside of a series or two in interleague

[BillyWilliams]

Not a big fan of this move.

Paxton is already 30 and has never been able to pitch more than 160 innings in a season. With the ever present injury concerns with Tanaka and CC, I would have preferred someone with less durability concerns.

Plus his HR rate spiked last season and he will be coming from a pitcher friendly park to Yankees Stadium, as well as fenway and camden.

[Spudboy]

This deal clearly makes the Yankees a power house. No doubt about it!

[BillyWilliams]

This deal clearly makes the Yankees a power house. No doubt about it!

 

I would say winning 100+ games already makes you a powerhouse.

[jacksonianmarch]

Not a big fan of this move.

Paxton is already 30 and has never been able to pitch more than 160 innings in a season. With the ever present injury concerns with Tanaka and CC, I would have preferred someone with less durability concerns.

Plus his HR rate spiked last season and he will be coming from a pitcher friendly park to Yankees Stadium, as well as fenway and camden.

 

He is coming to Yankee Stadium for half his games. While it is certainly not Safeco, Yankee stadium has been very good to lefties since it's creation. You usually worry about pull side opposite plate hitters. So you worry about left field for lefties and right field for righties. I expect Paxton to perform. The durability concerns are where my head is at. That being said, there is absolutely no way we get Paxton for what we gave up if he was a durable 200IP annual pitcher.

[BillyWilliams]

He is coming to Yankee Stadium for half his games. While it is certainly not Safeco, Yankee stadium has been very good to lefties since it's creation. You usually worry about pull side opposite plate hitters. So you worry about left field for lefties and right field for righties. I expect Paxton to perform. The durability concerns are where my head is at. That being said, there is absolutely no way we get Paxton for what we gave up if he was a durable 200IP annual pitcher.

 

While that may be true, Sheffield was the chip that would frontline a package for a durable starter.

 

As far as the HR's are concerned, it's not only Yankee Stadium, but fenway, camden and toronto as well. That's a big difference than the AL West where safeco and oakland are very pitcher friendly.

[jacksonianmarch]

While that may be true, Sheffield was the chip that would frontline a package for a durable starter.

 

As far as the HR's are concerned, it's not only Yankee Stadium, but fenway, camden and toronto as well. That's a big difference than the AL West where safeco and oakland are very pitcher friendly.

 

That is true. In 2017, he was not a homer prone pitcher and he produced in the AL. I like the move as the only real loss is Sheffield. DTW and Swanson were likely to be Rule 5 casualties and we got something of worth for them

[Bellhorn04]

I would say winning 100+ games already makes you a powerhouse.

 

Yeah, I suppose you can be a powerhouse even though you haven't won the division since way back in 2012.

[BillyWilliams]

Yeah, I suppose you can be a powerhouse even though you haven't won the division since way back in 2012.

 

At least we've been able to stay out of the basement!!

[Bellhorn04]

At least we've been able to stay out of the basement!!

 

The rewards for that achievement are pretty slim.

[BillyWilliams]

The rewards for that achievement are pretty slim.

 

Does winning a couple of WS while also coming in last place 3 times over that same time period make one a "powerhouse"?

[Meh]

First of all, good luck to our prospects that are headed to Seattle. Thompson and Swanson were extremely expendable so no loss there. Sheffield, I liked and I think he'll be a solid starter, but Paxton is the best case for him. Would be amazing if Paxton had 3 years left, but beggers can't be choosers.

 

 

Reall hope we resign Drob next.

[jacksonianmarch]

Clearly we wish the prospects well. I just don’t wish them too well. Wanna win the trade and all.

 

That being said, with the minor league pitching depth emerging and with the plans to fill our rotation and have JMont back around deadline time, we can afford to deal some big league ready pitching. The pitching in our short season up to AAA is stacked and many people use the term TINSTAAP. Sheffield is a TJS or shoulder surgery away from losing his worth, so we sold at what we thought was high. The depth in the minors is strong enough to handle some injury which is expected with pitchers. I’m intrigued to see how this unfurls

[Bellhorn04]

Does winning a couple of WS while also coming in last place 3 times over that same time period make one a "powerhouse"?

 

I think it's better than finishing second or third in the division every year and winning no WS.

 

According to you, all you have to do to be a powerhouse is win 100 games-even if you finished 8 games back and got knocked out in the division series. I guess we'll have to let you define what it means.

[BillyWilliams]

I think it's better than finishing second or third in the division every year and winning no WS.

 

According to you, all you have to do to be a powerhouse is win 100 games-even if you finished 8 games back and got knocked out in the division series. I guess we'll have to let you define what it means.

 

Didn't ask you what was better, I asked if it made you a powerhouse........

[BillyWilliams]

Clearly we wish the prospects well. I just don’t wish them too well. Wanna win the trade and all.

 

That being said, with the minor league pitching depth emerging and with the plans to fill our rotation and have JMont back around deadline time, we can afford to deal some big league ready pitching. The pitching in our short season up to AAA is stacked and many people use the term TINSTAAP. Sheffield is a TJS or shoulder surgery away from losing his worth, so we sold at what we thought was high. The depth in the minors is strong enough to handle some injury which is expected with pitchers. I’m intrigued to see how this unfurls

 

That's a dumb statement as it applies to every pitcher in baseball including Paxton ............

[BillyWilliams]

My concerns on Paxton:

 

Fly ball rate last year jumped from 32.7% to 41.1%, more than doubling his HR rate.

 

In an interview on Tuesday, Paxton attributed this to being "distracted". That (IMO) doesn't bode well for someone coming from the obscurity of seattle to the bright lights of Broadway.

 

Last season he had a home ERA of 3.35 with a WHIP of .988 in 14 starts while having a 4.24 ERA and a 1.224 WHIP in the same amount of starts away from the pitcher friendly confines of safeco.

 

I obviously hope I am wrong, but with his inability to stay healthy combined with the above numbers, I would have gone in another direction.