The James Paxton Trade – Why It's Concerning for the Mariners
Bye-bye Paxton Earlier today the Seattle Mariners traded James Paxton to the New York Yankees in exchange for Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson, and Dom Thompson-Williams. The trade looks great for the Yankees. It gets them a first-rate starting pitcher in his prime with two years of arbitration remaining. Though Paxton has battled injuries throughout his career, he has so far avoided anything as serious as Tommy John, and as long as he can continue to stay clear of it for the next two years, he will likely be a huge asset for the Yankees. Paxton has a high ceiling and a high floor. At worst, he could be a 3 rd starter for New York. At best, he could be a Cy-Young candidate. Regardless, he will in all likelihood help the Yankees make a couple of runs into the postseason. The Yankees got a top-tier low-cost starting pitcher without having to dig into the free agent market, and without giving up any particularly valuable assets. For the Yankees, this was a very smart baseb...