Report: James Paxton, Mariners agree to one-year, $8.5 million deal
After spending two years with the New York Yankees, James Paxton is returning to the Seattle Mariners.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mariners and Paxton agreed to a one-year, $8.5 million deal on Saturday. The contract includes bonuses that could bring its value up to $10 million.
Paxton went 41-26 with the Mariners from 2013-18, owning a 3.42 ERA, 1.187 WHIP and 617 strikeouts in 582.1 innings. He was traded to the Yankees in November 2018 for a top prospect, left-hander Justus Sheffield, outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams and right-hander Erik Swanson.
In two seasons with the Yankees, Paxton went 16-7 with a 4.16 ERA, 1.304 WHIP and 212 strikeouts in 171 innings.
The 32-year-old will join a rotation that includes Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Flexen and Sheffield.
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