Monday, November 19, 2018

Why the Paxton Deal Kind of Works


So. The offseason's officially underway, and everything starts, as usual, with a nice deal by the New York Yankees.

James Paxton has joined the Bombers, in exchange for Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson, and one other guy. At first glance, it looks as though the Yankees have given two great prospects to Seattle in exchange for a guy who has trouble staying healthy, but...it's worth more than that.

James Paxton will probably go into the JA Happ role of the steady, consistent fireballer that just wins games. Paxton will join Severino as the staff's strikeout artist, and will throw hard enough to stymie at least the Baltimore and Toronto offenses. He will also draw great crowds whenever the Yanks play in Toronto, as everyone seems to love him over there.

The main issue will be Paxton's ability to stay healthy. My dad asked the burning question: is Paxton able to give 200 innings a year? Is it closer to 175? Do we need more pitching help if that's the case. Cashman probably still wants to chase Patrick Corbin, but do we even need him now?

This is definitely an intriguing, albeit slightly predictable move. I do think it's a net win, but I worry it could end up like Carl Pavano, in that we could get a taste of him on the DL, and not much else...but seeing the quality of his recent seasons while not injured, I am staying optimistic.

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