The “Big Maple” is headed to the “Big Apple.”
A day after spending a weekend in his hometown, the Seattle Mariners have traded Ladner native James Paxton to the New York Yankees for a trio of prospects.
A Paxton trade had been widely speculated over the past couple of weeks with the Mariners looking to shift toward a re-build mode after missing the playoffs for the 17th straight year despite winning 89 games this past season. He is under club control for two more years before becoming a free agent for the first time in his career. He is projected to earn $9 million (US) in 2019.
In six seasons with the Mariners, the 30-year-old Delta Secondary graduate finished with a 41-26 record with an ERA of 3.42. He pitched 160.1 innings last season with 208 strikeouts — both career highs.
He was selected by the Mariners in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
The Yankees will be visiting Seattle during the 2019 season for a three-game series Aug. 26-28 but it will depend on the rotation if he will be pitching.
