James Paxton trade should signal a Seattle Mariners fire sale  —  Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto offered an honest description of the true nature of baseball struggles in 2018 when he spoke with reporters last January.  “You could argue you're going to compete with more clubs …

Cardinals shuffle minor-leaguers on 40-man roster to protect four prospects  —  ST. LOUIS  • To make room on the 40-man roster for four talents the Cardinals did not want to lose in the Rule 5 draft, the Cardinals first had to risk losing two minor-league pitchers who they protected a year ago.

Cubs infielder Jack Reinheimer claimed off waivers by Rangers; Dylan Cease among 4 added to White Sox roster  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Another spot opened on the Cubs' 40-man roster in advance of Tuesday's 7 p.m. deadline as infielder Jack Reinheimer was claimed off waivers by the Rangers.

Adrian Beltre Retires  —  After a brilliant career that spanned parts of 21 seasons, Adrian Beltre announced today that he is retiring from baseball.  Via a Rangers press release, Beltre has issued the following statement: … The march to Cooperstown now begins in earnest for Beltre …

Red Sox Acquire Colten Brewer  —  3:46pm: Boston has announced the deal.  —  3:27pm: The agreement is now in place, Rosenthal adds on Twitter.  —  12:55pm: Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports (via Twitter) that the Red Sox will send minor league infielder Esteban Quiroz to San Diego in exchange for Brewer.

Players Added To The 40-Man Roster  —  Tonight marks the deadline for players to be added to their respective organizations' 40-man rosters.  Over the nine hours, there'll be a flurry of moves, ranging from minor trades (like the one the Indians and Rays made yesterday) …

Former Blue Jay Roy Halladay on Hall of Fame ballot  —  NEW YORK — Career saves leader Mariano Rivera and late pitcher Roy Halladay are among 20 new candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot for the Baseball Writers' Association of America, joined by 15 holdovers headed by Edgar Martinez.

REPORT: Cleveland Indians drawing ‘significant trade interest’ in Yan Gomes  —  According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Cleveland Indians are receiving “significant trade interest” for catcher Yan Gomes.  —  Thanks to a new set of uniforms — including a red alternate jersey …

Cubs Claim Ian Clarkin  —  The Cubs announced that they've claimed left-hander Ian Clarkin off waivers from the White Sox.  The former first-round pick has yet to make his big league debut.  —  Clarkin, 24 in February, was the No. 33 pick by the Yankees in the 2013 draft but went from the Yanks …

Blue Jays prospect Griffin Conine, son of MLB All-Star Jeff Conine, suspended for PEDs  —  Toronto Blue Jays prospect Griffin Conine, the son of former two-time All-Star Jeff Conine, was suspended 50 games without pay after testing positive for Ritalinic Acid, a stimulant, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

David Price, Jonny Venters win Comeback Player of the Year Awards  —  Boston Red Sox and Jonny Venters of the  —  Atlanta Braves have been named the 2018 Comeback Players of the Year.  —  Venters' comeback was nothing short of astounding.  He returned to the bigs for the first time since 2012 …

Mets release Jenrry Mejia  —  New York Mets have released relief pitcher  —  Jenrry Mejia.  —  Mejia, you will recall,  —  received a lifetime ban from baseball back in February 2016, following his third failed drug test.  Last July Rob Manfred granted his application for reinstatement …

What a Noah Syndergaard trade return would look like  —  Jeff Wilpon departed cliche island to explain the scenario in which the Mets would deal Noah Syndergaard.  —  Forget the standard about a trade working for both sides.  Instead, last week the Mets owner explained: “It all depends on what Brodie …