Dodgers Reportedly Sign Red Sox Free Agent, Ending Reunion Hopes

The Los Angeles Dodgers refuse to stop spending money in free agency despite investing over a billion dollars in the last few months.

The Boston Red Sox have felt the effects of the Dodgers’ all-in approach, including their latest signing.

“The Dodgers are adding depth to the starting rotation by signing veteran James Paxton to a one-year contract,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported late Monday night. “He’ll receive a base salary of at least $11 million with incentives, per Chad Dey.”

Paxton posted a 4.50 ERA (101 ERA+) with a 101-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .250 batting average against and 1.31 WHIP in 96 innings across 19 starts for Boston.

The Red Sox were in the market for a starter in his tier and will have one less candidate to consider.

The Dodgers have now won bidding wars over Boston for two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, right-handed ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and Paxton.

With Paxton off the board, Michael Lorenzen, Hyun-jin Ryu and Michael Clevinger are the most likely options to bolster the Red Sox’s rotation assuming Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are out of ownership’s imaginary budgetary restraints.

Outfielder Adam Duvall appears to be the most likely reunion candidate out of Boston’s free agent class with Paxton headed West.

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated’s new page “Inside The Red Sox.” He got his start covering the team for NESN after graduating from Merrimack College in 2021.