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The Toronto Blue Jays have made it clear this off-season that they are looking for upgrades to their pitching staff. That includes high-impact pitchers who could step in next season and make a significant upgrade to help this team take yet another step forward.
Luckily for them, there seems to be a plethora of starting pitchers available who would fit that description for the Jays next season. However, one name that could excite the Blue Jays and their fan base would be bringing Canadian pitcher James Paxton north of the border.
There is a short history between the Blue Jays and Paxton, as the Blue Jays originally drafted him in the first round (37th overall) in the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft, but he didn’t sign with them. Paxton was then selected in the 4th round by the Seattle Mariners in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft.
Paxton entered the MLB in 2013 with the Mariners, but in 2017, he had his breakout season. With a record of 12-5 and an ERA of 2.98, he quickly gained attention around the league. He followed that up with an 11-6 record in 2018, including pitching two complete games.
The Mariners then dealt him to the Yankees for three prospects. The bright lights of New York didn’t faze him one bit, as in 2019, he went 15-6 with an ERA of 3.82. Paxton was cementing himself as a premier pitcher in this league.
In 2020, Paxton was held to only 20 1/3 innings pitched due to a flexor strain in his left forearm. An injury that is cause for a little bit of concern moving forward, as just how bad the damage was, is still a little unknown.
This off-season will be the first time Paxton is a free-agent, and he has enough of a track record to claim himself as a pitcher that can play at the top of a rotation. His salary in 2020 was 12.5 million, and it’s tough to know how much of a raise he could demand after an injury-filled season.
Overall, Paxton looks to be a possible fit with the Blue Jays. It's known he loves Canada, and that connection shouldn't be undervalued, but the fit within the organization is likely just as important. The addition of him would create an extremely talented top three of Ryu, Pearson, and Paxton.
He also just turned 32, which could scare away some teams due to age decline. There was a bit of a velocity drop in his pitches in 2020 compared to 2019. However, it could be that some of that was a result of his arm not being at 100%.
Without a doubt, Paxton would be a fan favourite here in Canada, playing in his home country for the Blue Jays. He would be another high impact arm the Jays could add without giving up any assets.
Coming off an injury, as well as with the age factor, Paxton might be looking at a short-term deal at around what he was making last year (12.5 million). If that’s about what it would take to bring Paxton back home to Canada, it is something Atkins and his management staff should seriously consider.
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