Mariners Moose Tracks, 12/18/17: James Paxton, Anthony Rendon, and Drake & Josh

Hello everyone and happy Monday! Things have slowed down significantly since the flurry of moves during the Winter Meetings. As such, we have just a small dosage of links for you today. Here’s what you may have missed from the weekend.

In Mariners news...

• James Paxton is going to be a key component to the Mariners’ success in 2018, writes Greg Johns.

Around the league...

• Salary caps aren’t the solution to our problems, according to Jeff Passan.

• But money doesn’t always matter when it comes to separating good teams from bad ones.
• Pinstripe Alley is fine with the Yankees trading Clint Frazier for the right piece.
• Anthony Rendon is willing to open up contract extension discussions with the Nationals.
• The offseason is only a couple of months in, but Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber has already lost around 20 pounds.
• The Padres have agreed to a contract with right-hander Jordan Lyles.

Anders’ picks...

• If you’ve seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi, our very own Jake Mailhot has a terrific review and breakdown of the film.
• For those of you who, like me, watched this show growing up (Language is NSFW):