Former Dodgers Starter James Paxton to Retire After 2024 Season

Former Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher James Paxton told Rob Bradford of the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast on Wednesday that he is planning on retiring at the end of the 2024 season.

Paxton joined the Dodgers on a one-year deal this offseason, and made 18 starts with the team this season. He made three starts with the Boston Red Sox before going on the injured list.

Paxton signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason to pitch in his 11th season in the big leagues. The 35-year-old went 9-3 with a 4.40 ERA with Los Angeles, before being designated for assignment. He was then traded to the Red Sox for infielder Moises Bolivar ahead of the trade deadline.

Paxton began his career back in 2013 with the Seattle Mariners. In 177 career games, he’s gone 73-41 with a 3.77 ERA. His best season as a pro came in 2017 with the Mariners, when he went 12-5 with a 2.98 ERA across 121 innings pitched.

In Nov. 2018, the Mariners traded Paxton to the New York Yankees. Paxton would spend two seasons in New York, before signing back with the Mariners. Then, after the 2021 season, Paxton joined the Red Sox. He missed the entire 2022 season due to injury, and then made 19 starts in 2023.

In his three starts with Boston this year, Paxton had a 4.09 ERA across 11 innings. He sustained a right calf strain on Aug. 11, and has been on the injured list ever since. He was moved to the 60-day IL on Aug. 23, and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Now, we know it’s likely to be his last.

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