Barring a sudden change of heart, the 2024 MLB season will be James Paxton's last.
The 35-year-old left-hander told WEEI's Rob Bradford on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast that he plans to retire after the season.
"I'm hoping we can squeak into the postseason and I get an opportunity to pitch again," the Boston Red Sox left-hander said. "But I think after this season, I'm gonna be retiring and moving on to the next chapter.
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"I think that I can still do it," he added. "I can still go out there and compete and help a team win. 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 responsibility to be at home with my family and I'm looking forward to being home with my family and spending more time with them too."
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Paxton spent the first six seasons of his big-league career (2013-18) with the Seattle Mariners. In 2017, he showed his ace potential with a 2.98 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 157 strikeouts in 24 starts.
Nicknamed "Big Maple," the 6-foot-4 Canadian was traded to the New York Yankees shortly after the 2018 season. He enjoyed one producing year in the Bronx before his career derailed due to injuries.
Paxton underwent Tommy John surgery twice -- once in 2020 while with the Yankees and again in 2021 after one start with Seattle. He missed the entire 2022 season and was signed by the Red Sox ahead of the 2023 campaign.
That year, Paxton returned from Tommy John rehab and made 19 starts for Boston before suffering a season-ending knee injury in September. He joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason and returned to the Red Sox via trade ahead of the 2024 deadline.
During his third start of his second Boston stint, Paxton exited due to a strained right calf. The injury ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season.
If Paxton officially calls it a career, he'll finish with a 73-41 record and a 3.77 ERA over 11 seasons.