James Paxton Trade Update: Red Sox reportedly acquire veteran pitcher from Dodgers ahead of deadline

On July 26, the Dodgers announced that veteran pitcher James Paxton had been traded to the Boston Red Sox. The move represents the first big-time deadline deal by the Dodgers and the first major pitching move in advance of the July 30 deadline.

Analyst Jeff Passan was the first to break the news. Paxton is currently under a one-year, $7 million contract. Over the past number of weeks, the 35 year-old starter has been a common feature of trade deadline discussions.

"James Paxton is reportedly being traded to the Red Sox. Paxton started 19 games for Boston last season." - MLB Network

The trade to the Boston Red Sox will send infielder Moises Bolivar the other way. Until inking his one year deal with the Dodgers, Paxton was a member of the Red Sox. In nineteen starts with Boston last season, Paxton went 7-5, pitching to a 4.50 ERA.

As a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, the 6-foot-4 veteran Canadian is 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA. Paxton was designated for assignment earlier this week, but was still able to be dealt by the Dodgers.

"According to @JeffPassan the Red Sox have acquired James Paxton from the Dodgers." - Tyler Miliken

Now in his eleventh season, the Red Sox have long been eyeing a starter like James Paxton to boost their rotation before a potential playoff run. On account of their 10-8 run in July, the Sox are now one game behind the Kansas City Royals in the AL Wild Card race.

The Red Sox' 3.75 starter ERA ranks the eighth in MLB in the category. However, spotty performances from top starters like Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck of late have reinforced the need for quality pitching within the organization, especially if the postseason is on the horizon.

James Paxton's experience attractive for playoff-hungry Red Sox

Having missed the postseason for three out of the past four years, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow knows that change starts with pitching. A former Red Sox World Series champion and pitcher, Paxton represents the same kind of experience and consistency that Breslow has aimed to bring to the team, as Jeff Passan wrote for ESPN:

"While Paxton's acquisition by no means signals the Red Sox will add significantly before the Tuesday trade deadline, it illustrates new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's desire to augment a group that has outplayed expectations and helped earn manager Alex Cora a three-year contract extension."

Though more work needs to be done to get the Sox to where they need to be, acquiring a familiar face like Paxton is a heartening first step for the club.