Red Sox acquire pitcher James Paxton in trade with Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox have made a move ahead of the MLB’s July 30 trade deadline.
James Paxton is coming back 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 corner infielder Moises Bolivar to the Dodgers as part of the deal. Boston placed pitcher Bryan Mata on the 60-day Injured List to make room for Paxton on the 40-man roster.
Bolivar, a 17-year-old Venezuelan outlaw, is in his first professional season. He’s hitting .270/.364/.423 with three homers and 10 XBH in 31 games, along with a 13% walk rate and 16% strikeout rate. https://t.co/5h6yo3PJjO
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 26, 2024
Paxton appeared in 19 games for the Red Sox in 2023, then signed as a free agent with the Dodgers for the 2024 season. He went 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 surprise decision to designate Paxton earlier this week.
Depth in starting pitching was one of the Red Sox’ needs heading into the trade deadline. Adding a reliever and/or another right-handed bat would also be impactful upgrades.
The Red Sox begin a crucial three-game series against the 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 playoff spot in the American League.
