Red Sox acquire pitcher James Paxton in trade with Dodgers Originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox have He made a move before the July 30 MLB trade deadline.
James Paxton will return to Boston.
The Red Sox acquired the right-handed starting pitcher in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, The team announced on Friday.
The Red Sox sent 17-year-old infielder Moises Bolivar to the Dodgers as part of the deal. Boston transferred pitcher Bryan Mata to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Paxton on the 40-man roster.
Bolívar, a 17-year-old who signed with Venezuela, is in his first season as a professional. He was hitting .270/.364/.423 with three homers and 10 XBH in 31 games, along with a 13% walk rate and a 16% strikeout rate. https://t.co/5h6yo3PJjO
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 26, 2024
Paxton pitched in 19 games for the Red Sox in 2023 and then signed with the Dodgers as a free agent before the 2024 season. He was 8-2 (18 total appearances) with a 4.43 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 64 strikeouts and 48 walks in 89 1/3 innings for the Dodgers this season.
The Dodgers made the surprising decision to appoint Paxton for the assignment earlier this week.
Starting pitching depth was one of the Red Sox’s needs before the trade deadline. Adding a reliever and/or another right-handed hitter would also be a major upgrade.
The Red Sox begin an important three-game series against rival New York Yankees on Friday night at Fenway Park. Boston entered Friday one game behind the Kansas City Royals for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League playoffs.