The Boston Red Sox' first move ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline was a no-brainer.
They became an obvious fit for James Paxton after the Los Angeles Dodgers made the surprising decision to designate him for assignment on Monday. The veteran left-hander is familiar with the organization after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Boston. For the Red Sox, Paxton checks multiple boxes as a southpaw (their only left-handed starter) who stabilizes the back end of the rotation.
Sure enough, first-year chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. got the deal done on Friday. They brought "Big Maple" back by sending minor-league infielder Moises Bolivar to L.A.
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While there's always a chance Bolivar blossoms into a star, this was an easy move for Breslow to make. The Red Sox have a surplus of infield prospects and the 17-year-old Bolivar isn't among the several high-end shortstops in the pipeline. He's essentially a lottery ticket, one Boston could comfortably part ways with for a pitcher of Paxton's caliber.
Paxton takes a spot in the rotation that has been patched up by swingmen Cooper Criswell and Josh Winckowski. The duo filled in admirably, but adding Paxton allows them to focus on boosting a regressing bullpen -- another area that needs improvement ahead of the deadline.
This was one of the most low-risk, high-reward trades the Red Sox could have made. That said, Paxton doesn't come without some concerns. He struggled with injuries throughout his two seasons in Boston, missing all of 2022 due to Tommy John recovery and multiple stretches in 2023 because of hamstring and knee issues. Ironically, he was the Dodgers' most durable starter this season with 18 starts, just one fewer than his previous two seasons combined.
Other than injuries, the primary concern with Paxton is walks. The 35-year-old has walked a National League-leading 48 batters through 89.1 innings for a 12.3 percent walk rate.
Perhaps Paxton, like the rest of the rotation, will benefit from the presence of Andrew Bailey. Boston's staff has greatly exceeded expectations with help from its new pitching coach. There's no reason to believe Paxton can't follow suit.
Although Paxton is a solid depth addition, fans will hope it isn't the club's only notable deadline move. The Red Sox still need pitching help and a right-handed bat to give them an edge over other American League teams fighting for a Wild Card spot. As of Friday, Boston is only one game behind the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card race and 6.5 games back in the AL East.
The 2024 MLB trade deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
