James Paxton of Ladner, B.C., is set to receive a $2 million bonus for his inclusion in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ active roster during their home opener on Thursday. This boost raises his guaranteed earnings to $9 million, with the potential to earn an additional $4 million based on his starts.
The 35-year-old southpaw was not initially on the roster for the Dodgers’ first two regular-season games in South Korea last week, as he wasn’t scheduled to pitch. However, he was subsequently added to the 26-man roster upon the team’s return to the United States, thereby activating the bonus outlined in his one-year contract with the Dodgers.
Originally, Paxton had signed a contract with the Dodgers in late January, guaranteeing him $11 million with additional bonus opportunities totaling $2 million. However, there was a revision to his contract shortly after, which reduced the guaranteed amount to $7 million while maintaining the potential to earn up to $13 million if he remains healthy and starts a minimum of 20 games early in the season.
Despite the adjustment, Paxton received a $3 million signing bonus. The revised terms lowered his salary to $4 million while increasing the roster bonus to $2 million contingent upon his inclusion in the active roster by the date of the Dodgers’ U.S. opener.
In terms of performance bonuses, Paxton stands to earn $4 million for his starts: $600,000 for each of six, eight, 10, 12, and 16 starts, with an additional $1 million bonus for reaching 18 starts.
Paxton is expected to play a role in the Dodgers’ rotation, particularly as they contend with injuries to several key starters like Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan, Clayton Kershaw, and Tony Gonsolin at the beginning of the season.
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