Seattle Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton asked out of Wednesday's start against the Cubs, instead preferring to work on his secondary pitches in a simulated game. Catcher Tom Murphy, Paxton's battery mate for the three-inning outing, was heard saying that Paxton looked the best he has so far this spring. Paxton is looking to bounce back from an injury riddled 2020 season, when he only managed to throw 20 1/3 innings in five appearances, so it's a relief to have confirmation that Paxton was...

Seattle Mariners pitcher Ljay Newsome will start Wednesday's spring training matchup against the Cubs instead of James Paxton. This change is not the result of any injury for Paxton, but rather a simple reshuffling of the early spring pitching schedule. With the Mariners planning on a six-man rotation for 2021, Newsome seems to have a part to play in the coming campaign, though his matching 5.17 ERA and 5.17 strikeouts per nine innings across five appearances (four starts) in 2020 will keep him ...

Seattle Mariners left-handed pitcher James Paxton (elbow) has had a tough time staying on the field in his career. He returned from back surgery last year but was limited to five starts and a 6.64 ERA due to left elbow issues. Despite the lofty ERA, he maintained similar strikeout and walk rates from his healthy years and generated a 4.12 xERA. Paxton saw his velocity drop in 2020 because of his arm injury, but he was hitting 94 mph during a bullpen session in November and could be a fantastic ...

After two years in the Bronx, left-handed starting pitcher James Paxton is returning to the Seattle Mariners after spending the first six seasons of his career in the Pacific Northwest. In eight big-league seasons, the 32-year-old has a 3.58 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 753 1/3 innings (136 starts). But the Canadian southpaw had a rough 6.64 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 28.9 percent strikeout rate and 7.8 percent walk rate in only five starts (20 1/3 frames) and dealt with a forearm...

The Seattle Mariners and left-handed pitcher James Paxton have agreed on a one-year pact to re-unite the Canadian-born southpaw with the franchise that he spent the first six seasons of his career with. Paxton will reportedly make $8.5 million with the chance to rake in as much as $10 million if he hits certain performance-based incentives. Staying healthy has been Paxton's main bugaboo since he was dealt to New York, having thrown in just five games last year en route to a 6.64 ERA. During his ...

The New York Mets have had discussions with free-agent starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, but there's no indication that a deal is close. The Mets have also shown some interest in free-agent starter James Paxton. New York is still trying to add another arm after narrowly missing out on Trevor Bauer. Arrieta is a former Cy Young winner, and the Mets attended his showcase two weeks ago. The 35-year-old right-hander posted a 5.08 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 32:16 K:BB ratio in 44 1/3 innings for the Phillies ...

The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals are actively looking at free-agent starting pitchers, according to a source. Jake Odorizzi, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker are the top remaining starters behind Trevor Bauer. Other notable pitchers on the market include Rich Hill, Cole Hamels, Jake Arrieta, Homer Bailey, Anibal Sanchez and Mike Fiers. The Phillies have already signed lefty Matt Moore and right-hander Chase Anderson, but they're both back-of-the-rotation options. ...

The Toronto Blue Jays continue to look for a starting pitcher and have free-agent left-hander James Paxton on their radar. Toronto continues to shop despite signing center fielder George Springer and closer Kirby Yates this week. Paxton is a Canada native but had back surgery last February and suffered a strained flexor tendon in his left forearm during the 2020 season. The southpaw had a rough 6.64 ERA and made just five starts (20 1/3 innings) while showing diminished velocity. He's never made...

The New York Mets will attend free-agent starting pitcher Corey Kluber's (shoulder) throwing session on Jan. 13 in Florida, according to a source. They also sent a representative to free-agent left-hander James Paxton's (back, elbow) workout last month. Both starters are high-upside arms who started a combined six games in 2020 due to injuries. Kluber made one start after tearing the right teres major muscle in his right shoulder and has made just eight starts in the last two years because of ...

Free-agent starting pitcher James Paxton (back, elbow) reached 94 mph on the radar gun at a throwing session for scouts, according to a source. As many as 20 teams were in attendance to watch him throw after he underwent back surgery in February and suffered a flexor strain during the 2020 season that limited him to only five starts with the Yankees. The left-hander averaged 92.1 mph on his four-seam fastball in 2020, which was down from 95.5 mph in 2019. Paxton can be nasty when healthy, but ...