Admit it. Before this offseason, probably about half of the New York Yankees fanbase had no clue who the lefty James Paxton was.
The casual fan had heard the name of the former Seattle Mariners pitcher and immediately thought of eagles, a no-hitter against Boston and Canada.
But below the surface, the Yankees got a solid starter to help shore up the rotation. The 30-year-old threw 160.1 innings while striking out 208 batters in the process. He also pitched two complete games last season alone.
Basically, the Yankees gave up Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson and Don Thompson-Williams for a starter who may have experienced numerous injuries but does enough to help the Yankees feel more comfortable competing with the Boston Red Sox.