LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Paxton is getting a $2 million bonus for being on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ active roster for their home opener Thursday, raising his guaranteed pay to $9 million with the chance to earn another $4 million based on starts.
The 35-year-old left-hander was on the Dodgers’ roster announced before they faced the St. Louis Cardinals. Los Angeles already played its first two games of the regular season in South Korea last week.
Paxton wasn’t on that roster because he wasn’t slated to pitch, but he was added to the 26-man group after the team returned stateside, triggering the bonus in his one-year contract with the Dodgers.
Paxton signed with Los Angeles in late January for a guaranteed $11 million with $2 million in bonus opportunities, but the pitcher and the team reworked his contract shortly afterward. They lowered the guarantee to $7 million while still allowing him to earn up to $13 million if he is healthy during the early part of the season and starts at least 20 games.
Paxton still got a $3 million signing bonus, but revised deal lowered the salary to $4 million and increased the roster bonus to $2 million if he was on the active roster by the date of the Dodgers’ U.S. opener.
He could earn $4 million in performance bonuses for starts: $600,000 each for six, eight, 10, 12 and 16, and $1 million for 18.
Paxton is expected to be a part of the back end of the Dodgers’ rotation at least until other pitchers return from injury. Starters Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan, Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin are all beginning the season on the injured list.
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