Seattle Mariners finally sign fourth-round pick James Paxton

PEORIA, Ariz. – In a season in which the Seattle Mariners are logically – if not quite outwardly – playing for the future, consider James Paxton another intriguing name to watch.

Paxton, Seattle’s fourth-round pick in the June 2010 draft, ended a lengthy negotiation when he signed with the M’s on Friday.

He was originally drafted by Toronto as a supplemental pick in the first round in 2009 (No. 39 overall) but didn’t sign, reportedly turning down a $1 million bonus.

He was then ruled ineligible to return to the University of Kentucky.

The question now is what exactly the Mariners have in the 22-year-old. In his best season at Kentucky, as a junior in 2009, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder ranked third in the NCAA, averaging 13.22 strikeouts per nine innings.

Bradley accused

The website Radaronline.com published divorce papers Friday in which Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley is being accused of spousal abuse by his wife, Monique. Specifically, it was alleged that a restraining order was requested for Bradley in January after he allegedly bloodied her head with a thrown glass on New Year’s Eve.

Notes

Doug Fister, seemingly set for a spot in the rotation, gave up five hits and two runs in three innings during a 3-1 loss against the Reds and has a 7.20 earned-run average in two starts. … Seattle announced that Felix Hernandez will make his first spring training start on Monday when the Mariners play in Phoenix against Oakland.