The Mariners’ 2021 off-season wasn’t a slam-dunk by any means but it certainly improved a lot today when the signing of James Paxton became official, as signaled by the time-honored tradition of a press conference squeaking in just under the spring training gun. A bearded Paxton brought back all the good old feels—not least of which for me, personally, is remembering what a pleasure it is to transcribe the well-spoken Pax’s interviews—along with showcasing an older, wiser self hardened in the crucible of the playoffs and the New York media landscape. For Paxton, coming home to Seattle was an obvious choice for a player looking to get back to himself:
“There were a lot of teams interested in signing me this off-season.