SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Ernie Whitt and Paul Quantrill are coaching James Paxton at the World Baseball Classic, but when they talk about how well the retired left-hander has pitched for Canada, they almost sound like his agents.
“If I’m an organization and I see a left-handed pitcher that can still throw 97 and command it, I would definitely take a look or make a phone call,” said Whitt, the national team manager.
“The Big Maple, I'm telling you, he's going to get calls,” added Quantrill, Canada’s pitching coach. “I mean, the guy hasn't pitched for a year plus and he's throwing 95-plus. … The man could play Major League baseball right now, in my mind.”
So, any chance this experience is making him reconsider retirement?
"I don't think so, no,” Paxton said on the field, after logging 2.2 innings in Wednesday’s 7-2 Pool A-clinching win over Cuba. “My family wants me home. I want to be home with my family, put my kids to bed at night. It's flattering, but I think the most likely scenario is that I’ll just continue mentoring and helping the next generation of baseball players do their thing.”
Watch Blue Jays in spring training on Sportsnet
The Blue Jays begin their ramp up to the 2026 with spring training action in Florida. Sportsnet will broadcast 23 spring training games on TV and Sportsnet+.
Broadcast schedule
The 37-year-old from Ladner, B.C., retired in 2004 after a right-calf strain in August that cut short what turned out to be his final season in the majors. Apart from being a dad, he’s since been working online to complete his Kentucky business degree, something he expects to do in the next year, and he plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in sports psychology afterward.
“I want to get into mentoring young players and consulting for teams on mental skills,” Paxton said. “I really love the mental side of the game between the lines, the sport performance between the ears. I'm going to try to impact the game in that way.”
Paxton certainly looked like someone capable of still impacting the game on the mound during his two appearances at the WBC. He sat 93.9 m.p.h. and topped out at 95.6 during 2.2 innings in Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Panama, and then averaged 94.4 and touched 97.1 on his final pitch Wednesday, when he struck out six batters.
“I guess my elbow just needed a year off,” he quipped. “It felt really good coming out. I was just out there competing. And I think doing it for Canada gave me that extra adrenaline.”
Both times he was removed mid-at-bat at 49 pitches to avoid the four days of rest required by tournament rules, so he’ll be eligible to pitch on one day of rest in Friday’s quarterfinal clash with the United States.
Paxton said he recovered well from his first outing, feeling soreness “in the good places, my scap and my lat” that was ironed out by some treatment. He’ll have a shorter turnaround for Friday but “hopefully, it'll be the same thing recovery-wise going forward, and I'll be able to be ready.”
Whether he pitches or not, he’s already made contributions to the Canadian squad beyond what he’s done on the mound. Quantrill praised him for the way “he helps our young players,” sharing the lessons learned from his 11-year big-league career.
Talent aside, it’s another reason Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams, wanted him on the roster and pitched him on the idea back in the fall. Paxton started throwing in November, playing catch with former Mariners teammate and current neighbour Marco Gonzales, who is in camp with the San Diego Padres on a minor-league contract.
Back in January, he conceded that after Tommy John surgery in April 2021, he never felt the same physically pitching again, which forced him to find other ways survive on the mound with the Red Sox and Dodgers.
“I didn't have the same stuff, but mentally I knew how to compete, I knew how to push myself,” he explained. “I feel like I'm a better mental competitor now than I was when I was young, even when I had the stuff.”
All of that’s led to this run with the national team, a chance to walk off the field again on his own terms, having helped Canada advance to the Classic quarterfinals for the first time — and perhaps even beyond.
“I've really enjoyed just talking with the guys, getting to know them and imparting my wisdom on the young guys,” said Paxton. “Helping them out feels really good and to go out there and do that is a lot of fun.”
