A former All-Star pitcher - one who New York Yankees fans remember fondly - is calling it a career.
Left-hander James Paxton, who pitched two seasons with the Bronx Bombers in 2019 and 2020, has revealed his plans to retire after the season; Paxton, currently with the Boston Red Sox, announced his retirement via the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, during an interview with show host Rob Bradford.
"It's tough. Obviously, I think that I can still do it. I can still go out there and compete, and help a team win," Paxton said in his interview. "But I just think with where my family's at and what they need right now, they need me home. I feel the duty and the responsibility to be at home with my family and I'm looking forward to being at home with my family, and spending more time with them, too."
Despite dealing with injuries, Paxton - nicknamed "Big Maple" for his 6'4" frame and Canadian nationality - enjoyed a strong run of success with the Seattle Mariners, with especially strong seasons in 2017 and 2018. This prompted the Yankees to trade for him during the 2018 offseason, sending prospects Justus Sheffield, Dom Thompson-Williams, and Erik Swanson to Seattle.
The ensuing 2019 season would be one of Paxton's best, especially during the second half. Although he had a middling 5-4 record with a 4.01 ERA entering the All-Star break, the lefty went 10-2 with a 3.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, a 29.9% strikeout rate, and an 8.2% walk rate the rest of the way as he established himself as the rotation's ace (which was especially important due to injuries to Luis Severino). Paxton capped off his strong season with a gritty win in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros, tossing six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts.
Sadly, 2019 would be the last great season of Paxton's career, as well the last one that saw him pitch 150 innings or more. His last several seasons were ravaged by injuries; the lefty pitched just 20.1 innings for the Yankees in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, with his campaign ending due to a flexor tendon strain. After leaving the Bronx as a free agent, he would only pitch one game in a second stint with the Mariners before undergoing Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss almost two whole seasons.
Paxton, in his age-35 season, began 2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and went 8-2, but with a rather poor 4.43 ERA; he would be designated for assignment on July 22 and traded to the Red Sox (whom he pitched for in 2023) on July 26, but strained his right calf on August 11 for another season-ending injury. With his impending retirement, the only way Paxton can take the mound again is if the Red Sox reach the ALCS.
"I'm hoping that we can squeak into the postseason and I get an opportunity to pitch again," Paxton said to Bradford. "But I think, after this season, I'm going to be retiring and moving on to the next chapter."
The Yankees will host the Red Sox in a four-game series from Thursday to Sunday; if Paxton is present, Yankee fans may show their appreciation for "Big Maple" and his gutsy 2019 season, despite being in their hated rivals' uniform.
