Manager Aaron Boone has already named James Paxton the New York Yankees number two starting pitcher. Despite the issues he faces in the first inning, he has proven he can dominate in the MLB when healthy. Considering the health issues, the team has faced and Luis Severino’s season-ending injury this year, Paxton’s presence is welcomed.
Trading for him during the 2018 season has proven to be beneficial. In 2019, Paxton pitched in 29 games, a career-high. He finished the season 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA. Over 150.2 innings, he recorded 186 strikeouts, allowed 23 home runs, and 64 earned runs.
However, despite his positive performance, the Yankees have yet to open up negotiations regarding a new deal, according to the New York Daily News.
Paxton is currently on a one-year, $12.5 million deal. At 31 years old and coming off surgery to remove a cyst from his lower back, the Yankees may decide to let him walk in free agency. Given his significant struggles to open games, the contract he might be seeking on a multi-year deal could be worth upwards of 15 million per season.
The New York Yankees have to consider multiple factors
His injury history is a bit tumultuous, taking away from his value over a long-term deal. I believe the better move would be to extend Masahiro Tanaka on a reduced salary. Tanaka has been consistently healthy throughout his career but is set to make over $20 million per season in 2020. If they can bring him down to somewhere in the $15 million range, I would prefer to keep him over Paxton.
I would even be open to the Yankees considering Marcus Stroman, who currently plays for the New York Mets. Last season, Stroman earned an All-Star appearance, logging a 3.22 ERA with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets. He allowed 18 home runs over 184.1 innings. While he doesn’t offer a lefty arm as Paxton does, he pitched a lot better in 2019 and could be a great option for a long-term deal.
At 30 years old, he is still in the middle of his prime and is deserving of consideration from the Yankees, in my opinion. Considering Stroman has struggled this spring training 2.0, this is a very interesting time for every player. Not everyone will respond positively, but it could give the Yankees a more advantageous position monetarily if he doesn’t play to his potential in 2020.