How Red Sox Starter James Paxton Feels About Trade Speculation

With an all-important benchmark in the Major League Baseball season fast approaching, Red Sox starter James Paxton is choosing to stay focused on the task at hand.

The trade deadline is set for Aug. 1 and Paxton, on paper, is the kind of pitcher who often gets moved before the final two months of the campaign. The 34-year-old is playing on an expiring contract and he would be an above-average depth option for a team with legitimate World Series aspirations.

But Paxton, even though he’s hearing trade chatter from MLB fans and media members alike, isn’t paying much attention to the outside noise.

“I’m focused on what we’re doing here,” Paxton told reporters Saturday, per MassLive. “That stuff’s totally out of my control. So not trying to think about that at all. Obviously, you see it. You hear it. But like I said, no control for me. I’m focused on winning here with Boston.”

A similar approach is being taken by Paxton’s latest counterpart, Max Scherzer. Although it wouldn’t be nonsensical for the middling New York Mets to move Scherzer at some point in the next week, the three-time Cy Young Award winner isn’t even entertaining the idea of a blockbuster deal.

Paxton is slated to make his next start next weekend when the Red Sox are in San Francisco.