Mets Rumors: James Paxton piques the front office’s curiosity

As the New York Mets rumors continue to blossom you can now add James Paxton to the growing list of names that the front office is pursuing.

The New York Mets were one of the Major League teams in attendance for free-agent starting pitcher James Paxton’s latest throwing session sparking rumors that the front office is considering the left-handed pitcher as an option for the starting rotation. There have been Mets rumors recently stating that the organization was out on the Tomoyuki Sugano sweepstakes, which makes the reported interest in Paxton that much more interesting.

The Mets front office is looking to add one or two starting pitchers to the starting rotation this offseason and Paxton who pitched across town the last two seasons, would be an intriguing arm to add to the rotation, provided he is fully healthy. The 32-year old pitcher had battled an injury-riddled 2020.

Paxton underwent a microscopic lumbar discectomy procedure on his back before the season began in February and then would only make a total of five starts during the regular season with diminished velocity. Paxton wound up missing much of the rest of the regular season due to a Grade 1 flexor strain in his throwing elbow.

Before his misfortunes in 2020, Paxton had been regarded as one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball over the previous six seasons by posting a solid 3.57 ERA with a decent WHIP of 1.216. Injury concerns have always followed Paxton, but it’s hard to deny the results he has produced with both the Seattle Mariners as well with the New York Yankees back in 2019.

The Mets organization as a whole has not had much luck themselves when it comes to the injury bug which makes any Mets rumors of the signing of a player with previous injury history a risky proposition. During his throwing session, Paxton hit 94 MPH on the radar gun which is just a couple notches below his average fastball velocity of 95.5 MPH that he hit during the 2019 season.

MLB Trade Rumors.com has predicted Paxton landing a one-year deal worth $10 million with the Chicago White Sox this offseason. While it’s too soon to say who the favorites may be for Paxton’s services in 2021, it’s fair to imagine him landing a one or two year deal with an annual average value in that price range.

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Nonetheless, this will be one of the many captivating Mets rumors that we will continue to follow as the front office looks to navigate ways to add depth to the starting rotation this winter via free agency.