With the New York Yankees desperately needing starting pitching support in 2019, they made the decision to trade LHP Justus Sheffield, RHP Erik Swanson, and OF Dam Thompson-Williams for Mariners’ ace James Paxton.
Paxton is a quality pitching option, hosting a 3.76 ERA and 1.09 WHIP last season. The primary issue with the newly acquired arm is his injury history. He has yet to pitch 180 innings in any single season since his inception into the MLB. He has spent a good portion of his time with the Mariners on the disabled list.
The positive in regard to his injuries is that they haven’t effected his shoulder or elbow, so in other words, they weren’t significant to his throwing arm. He did land on the DL with back inflammation before the All-Star break. Additionally, he missed a few weeks after getting hit with a line drive to his throwing arm. In 2017, he missed two months with a forearm strain and LAT strain.
While the injuries have piled up throughout the course of his career, he is still an extremely effective pitcher when healthy, which is what the Yankees have seen and acted on. With a solid starting rotation, they can use Paxton sparingly to preserve him. It’s only safe to assume that he will sustain an injury at some point in the season, and allowing him to rest and recovery will be essential moving forward, especially at the age of 30.
Was this a bad move for the New York Yankees?
This trade screams “win-now.” Everything about the acquisition of Paxton affirms that GM Brian Cashman is going for it all next season, and if they manage to sign Manny Machado, a World Series appearance is more than possible.
But was giving up Sheffield worth an oft-injured pitcher?
Personally, I wouldn’t have given up the No.31 ranked player on the MLB pipeline. Last year between AA and AAA, Sheffield pitched 116 innings, with an ERA of 2.48, striking out 123 batters and had an opposing BA of .198. The kid was a stud, and the Mariners now have themselves a top pitching prospect in their system.
The Yankees secured a pitcher that has experience and can help them immediately, but trading away top youth prospects is never advisable.