The Seattle Mariners have settled the biggest question of the offseason by hiring their new manager Jason Kanzler, but now the question of how they will go about trying to improve the roster comes to the fore. Buster Olney dropped a really interesting tidbit on what the Mariners may try to do in the offseason as it related to the team’s pitching surplus.
Here is an excerpt from what Olney wrote: “I’ve heard Seattle is poking around to assess how its surplus in pitching might be used to add a bat.” However, he also stipulates that intense trade talks are probably not going to occur until after a new CBA is negotiated so teams have a better sense of what their financial situations are going to be.
Still, it makes total sense for the Mariners to explore trading away a pitcher or two to try and improve the offense. Seattle was one of the worst teams in MLB offensively in 2026 and ranked 28th in runs per game. While the offense was poor, the Mariners have a lot of solid starting pitchers. Whether it’s Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, or Emerson Hancock, there is really no shortage of options if they want to thin things out a bit especially since Kade Anderson debuted and looked solid.
Mariners should talk to teams in need of starting pitching
Seattle would be wise to engage in talks with teams that are in desperate need of starting pitching. The Chicago Cubs make a lot of sense since basically their entire starting staff is set to hit free agency and they are bound to lose at least a couple of arms. Matt Shaw could be an interesting position player for the Mariners to target.
The San Francisco Giants are another team that could use some starters. Logan Webb, Landen Roupp, and Adrian Houser should all be in the starting rotation but they have two spots that need filling. Maybe the Mariners could try to get Casey Schmitt who hit 21 home runs in 98 games last season.
Another team to keep an eye on is the San Diego Padres. Michael King, Casey Mize, Robbie Ray, and Nick Pivetta are all hitting free agency so they will likely need to replenish the rotation. Perhaps Jake Cronenworth or Xander Bogaerts could make sense as a boost to the lineup.
Don’t expect any sort of deal this month like Olney said, but the Mariners are well-positioned to score a bat so they’d be foolish not to trade away a starter or two in order to improve on offense.
Buster Olney Thinks Seattle Mariners May Look To Offload Pitching Surplus