Red Sox’s Alex Cora Addresses Reunion With Lefty James Paxton

BOSTON — The Red Sox struck a pre-MLB trade deadline deal with the Dodgers, acquiring left-handed pitcher James Paxton over 10 months following the 35-year-old’s last trip to the mound in a Boston uniform.

“I don’t know what the traveling plans are, but (I) talked to him this morning,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed before Friday night’s series opener against the Yankees at Fenway Park. “He seems excited. This is a place that he understands and he knows. So it’s good to have him.”

Paxton signed a one-year, $7 million contract with Los Angeles in the offseason, officially closing the door — momentarily — on a perplexing debut stint with Boston. When the Red Sox signed Paxton in December 2021, the organization took a risk knowing he’d require time to recover from Tommy John surgery. That pushed Paxton’s belated first start with Boston to May 2023, a season in which he’d make 19 starts and go 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA. The familiarity and feasible asking price from the Dodgers made the trigger an easy one for the Red Sox’s front office to pull.

“We know him,” Cora said. “I think stuff-wise, throughout the season, I think the (velocity) of the fastball has been down, but not last week. I think he ended up in a good note, velocity was up, throws strikes with off-speed pitches. He’s a guy that we know physically.”

While pitching for the National League West-leading Dodgers, Paxton displayed exactly what the Red Sox are currently in need of — durability, innings and rotational flexibility. Paxton tossed the third-most innings (89 1/3) with Los Angeles, only behind Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone, while also going 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 18 starts. Paxton pitched six-plus innings in one-third of those outings, holding opponents to three or fewer runs. Adding a veteran starter to the rotation with the proven ability to eat up innings, take a load of pressure off the bullpen, and understands the club, leaves the Red Sox welcoming back Paxton with open arms. It also doesn’t hurt that Paxton is left-handed, even though Cora denied that being a driving factor in the reunion.

“It’s not that we need a lefty. It’s that bullpen-wise, it helps,” Cora said. “Sometimes you run into lineups like today. (The Yankees) got a bunch of lefties. We have the three lefties in the bullpen, but you have to rely on something else. I think having him is going to help us to mix and match and help us be better over the course of the week.”