Red Sox Reportedly Have ‘Strong Interest’ In Re-Signing Pitcher

The Red Sox must have liked what they saw out of James Paxton in 2023 because it sounds like a reunion is on the table.

It is for them, at least.

It was reported by Audacy’s Rob Bradford on Saturday that Boston is showing “strong interest” in bringing the 35-year-old back for another season. Paxton, who missed all of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, procured a 4.50 ERA over the course of 19 starts in his lone season in Boston.

He spoke about this exact scenario in September.

“We haven’t had those conversations,” Paxton said. “I’ve had a good experience here. I like pitching here, being part of this team, this club, but there haven’t been any conversations about what’s coming after this. It’s kind of a mystery to me as well.”

Paxton was strong early, boasting a 3.34 ERA in his first 13 starts, but saw his numbers dip considerably in the final two months of the season.

The Red Sox definitely need to add to their starting rotation, but re-signing a veteran who only pitched 96 innings last season likely wasn’t what people expected. They missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but the free-agency pool is still loaded with talent.

Paxton, of course, doesn’t have to be the only player they sign. Boston has room to add two or three starters, so this could just be the first in a line of multiple moves.