Mariners' James Paxton: Loses 5th stater job, demoted to Triple-A

Paxton, who was competing for the last spot in the rotation, was demoted to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday after getting hammered in his final spring start Sunday.

The Mariners didn't even wait for Nate Karns, who was named the fifth starter, to make his final start before demoting Paxton. That's how bad Paxton was Sunday and all spring. He gave up seven runs in each of his last two outings. On Sunday, he went four innings, allowing nine hits, including three homers, and three walks with no strikeouts. He'll work on his game at Triple-A and await injuries or ineffectiveness to hit the rotation. But this is a big setback for Paxton, who at 27 is no youngster.