FORT MYERS, Fla. - The decision to get the Maple Leaf tattoo on his forearm? An easy decision.
Embracing the nickname "Big Maple" given to him by former Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar? A no-brainer.
Saying "Yes" to the Red Sox? That was a bit more complicated for James Paxton.
As the minutes ticked toward the Dec. 1 Major League Baseball jumping off point - at which point free agents such as Paxton were to be left without any avenues for agreements - the lefty was presented with an option he didn't see coming.
The Red Sox were actually offering a contract.
"Boston was really the only team that made an offer before the lockout," Paxton told WEEI.com. "It was right up against the wall. And it was unique, I guess. But it seemed like a really good set-up for me where I’m at, coming back from this injury.
"It was a tough decision. There were plenty of teams that were interested, but they were all saying they were going to wait until after the lockout. Boston wanted to jump on it and get it done. It just felt right. It was one of those things where it was a fair offer and I felt good about. I felt really good about the people that I talked to from Boston. I just got a good feeling about it, so I rolled with it."
The deal was a one-year, $10 million deal for 2022, with a pair of club options for 2023 and 2024.
Paxton, who had undergone Tommy John surgery in mid-April, could roll the dice, come back after the lockout and give teams a better glimpse of a pitcher just a few months away from contributing. Or he could take the certainty that came with the Red Sox' aggressive approach.
The terms seemed solid, but there was so much more, much of which had to be crystalized with a six-person Zoom call just a few hours before the lockout kicked in.
"I was at a workout and they said we had to get on a Zoom call. I was in my car Zooming with the Red Sox as I’m driving home," Paxton said. "They’re like, ‘Focus on the road!’ When I get home we talked for a little more. It was a whirlwind type of deal."
Judging by Paxton's progression to this point, both parties may have landed in the right spot.
After throwing off a mound for the first time since surgery Monday (just five pitches), Paxton threw again - this time 10 pitches - Friday.
The payoff from agreeing so early isn't just about keeping on a timetable that points to Paxton returning midway through the season. It also has allowed for the kind of peace of mind that allowed for much-needed patience.
"Yeah. Absolutely," said Paxton when asked if agreeing has eliminated some of the anxiety that comes with such a comeback. "I think I have a good opportunity to get back for a good chunk of this season and hopefully show the team that I’m back to being the guy I can be and be able to stay here for a couple of more years after this year."
Now the image of one of the most impactful American League lefty starters from 2016-19 throwing a baseball in Red Sox garb has the excitement in camp building.
"I don't want to get too excited, but he's feeling good," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "We're feeling good where he's at. In those situations, you were able to connect through the PT as an organization. The group that he was working with, we knew pretty well. And I think his progression and his rehab was on point throughout the offseason and we feel really good where he's at right now.
"He's a good pitcher, man. He's got good stuff. One of the toughest lefties we faced in the last few years. Good cutter, good fastball. Just a big, strong lefty. And we saw what Chris (Sale) did last year in the regular season coming in. And if we stick to the program, and he can contribute at that level, that'll be great, but not only for this year, but one of those guys that we kind of have been following for a few years with Chaim (Bloom) and before with Dave (Dombrowski) too. So I know he ended up in New York and all that but we really like him, too. We'll know more in the next few weeks, but right now he's right on schedule, which is good. He's not ahead, he's not behind, he's right where he should be."
