James Paxton is back with the Mariners after two seasons with the Yankees. (Getty)
With the Mariners’ hiring of James Paxton’s officer, general manager Jerry Dipoto can almost close the door in the off season.
Mariners’ Notebook: Servais considers Paxton’s return a ‘big fit’
The official announcement of the addition of Ken Giles in Seattle is the only business item still pending when the Mariners begin spring training, and a better picture of Dipoto’s off-season – which on the surface seemed deceptively silent – came into focus when he discussed the Paxton’s signature with the media on Thursday afternoon.
Dipoto has been clear on his offseason goals since day 1.
He wanted to add several arms to the bullpen. Check. He wanted to add a holder, and he did so by hiring Chris Flexen. After that, he said he wouldn’t mind adding another one if things worked out well, or if it didn’t work out very well. Missing in this photo? Dipoto’s goal of adding a left-handed stick.
“We were exhaustive in finding the right addition to our schedule. We fall short at every step, ”he admitted. “We had a series of targets, each of which we thought was the ideal fit, and we tried to get out and reach them. In all of these cases, we offer multi-year contracts that seemed to fit what we were trying to do not just for 2021, but for 2022 and potentially beyond. “
Dipoto was looking for a left-handed free agent hitter to help balance the lineup. Ideally, that player can play on the left field or on second base. There were two that the Mariners were particularly excited about and a third player that would have worked. The team was linked to Kolten Wong and Tommy La Stella among others this winter, but they signed elsewhere. In the end, this may not be a bad thing.
“We were aggressively in that market; we just couldn’t bring the offensive piece we wanted to add, ”said Dipoto. “As soon as we realized that the best adjustments for us were out of the picture, we turned our interest to what is the biggest impact that we can cause.”
Although they maintained contact with Paxton and his representation during the off-season, they were not the only ones. A strong bullpen session launched in November had teams interested, keeping Paxton in the category of daring to dream for the Mariners.
“We don’t really think it would be very likely that we would be able to score an initial pitcher of the higher impact type,” said Dipoto. “James played the ball so well in November. My guess is that they saw the same thing as us. “
Of course, there was familiarity, a factor that pushed each side closer to an agreement.
“Going back to Seattle was the best long-term decision for me when looking to the future in my career and what I want to do,” said Paxton. “I want to be myself again this year. I really struggled to get back from back surgery (in 2020). I’m comfortable here in Seattle, I love the group here and I’m excited to be part of it. “
If the fit in a young team seems to be a little wrong, Dipoto believes that Paxton can benefit the Mariners in more ways than one.
“Adding James to the pitch we have internally gives us a great opportunity to continue to develop our youth while competing to the best of our ability,” he said.
Returning to Seattle two years older and with a very different experience for playing on the biggest baseball stage in New York, Paxton is also ready to take a leadership role.
“Shooting in the postseason was fantastic, a great experience for me and something I can share with the guys here,” he said. “Just this pressure, extra pressure you have in New York, having this experience, being able to talk about it with the guys here and telling them the things I learned from that experience, I think it will be very beneficial for us as a group . “
Although Dipoto was unable to get what he wanted with a left-handed stick, he added a left-handed that could have a substantial impact on Paxton. The rotation is close to the set and the lineup will shake, and that will happen to familiar faces when the off-season door is almost closed.
Almost.
“We will continue with what we have internally (for the left-handed baton) and be open to any other opportunities that present themselves with the team of pitchers,” said Dipoto. “This is an area where the more depth you can compile, the better. Keep stacking. We need all the launches, as well as all the other clubs. “
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