Mariners' Updated Starting Rotation After Reported James Paxton Contract

Left-handed starting pitcher James Paxton has agreed to return to the Seattle Mariners, per Chad Dey of Sportsnet 650.

Paxton, who was a free agent this offseason, played in Seattle from 2013-2018, going 41-26 with a 3.42 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 617 strikeouts in 582.1 innings.

He was traded to the New York Yankees before the 2019 season, spending two years in the Bronx before hitting free agency this offseason.

The Mariners hope that Paxton will return to his old form in Seattle after the southpaw posted a 6.64 ERA in five starts last year. A flexor strain in his left arm kept him sidelined for much of the year and hindered his on-field results, but Paxton is quite sharp at his best, and a return to Seattle could rejuvenate his career.

With the Paxton signing, RosterResource (h/t FanGraphs) lists six potential starting pitchers for Seattle in the following order: Marco Gonzales, Paxton, Yusei Kikuchi, Justus Sheffield, Chris Flexen and Justin Dunn. Gonzales, Paxton and Sheffield are southpaws.

Seattle is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001. The Mariners nearly did so last year, falling two games shy of the eighth and final playoff spot in the American League.

MLB will revert to its old playoff format with five teams per league advancing to October baseball next season, so it'll be harder for Seattle to reach playoff contention.

However, a promising lineup featuring AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis and a rotation bolstered by Paxton's presence could put Seattle in the playoff conversation into the fall.