MLB Roundup 11/12: James Paxton drawing interest

Astros and Yankees among those showing interest in James Paxton

The Mariners have quickly become the center of the early parts of the MLB offseason after their decision to rebuild (or retool or whatever you want to call it). They already traded Mike Zunino to the Rays in exchange for Mallex Smith (with other players involved going both ways in that deal), and now they could deal to another American League rival of the Red Sox. Seattle’s best realistic trade chip is James Paxton, a left-handed pitcher who has shown huge talent though also has some injury questions. He would be an upgrade for just about any rotation in the game, and two of Boston’s biggest competitors are among the teams vying for his services. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, both the Yankees and Astros are showing interest in the lefty. This makes plenty of sense, as both organizations have ample young talent to make a blockbuster deal while also having plenty of room in their rotation. New York lost J.A. Happ and is almost certainly going to deal Sonny Gray, while the Astros lost both Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel to free agency and will be without Lance McCullers for all of 2019. Paxton would be a welcome addition to both rosters, but Red Sox fans should be hoping he goes elsewhere. The one good thing about Paxton potentially pitching for the Yankees is that we’d see this constantly.