It’s been scarcely two weeks since the first report surfaced indicating that the Seattle Mariners’ winter plans might include "a full-fledged teardown." Now, the team has pushed in one of its biggest trade chips: Starter James Paxton has been sent to the New York Yankees in exchange for a trio of prospects. Southpaw Justus Sheffield leads the pack, joined by fellow pitcher Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams.
The Yankees’ rotation was the part of their roster that most needed an upgrade, and this trade takes a big step to address that. When healthy, Paxton can be a top-tier lefty talent.