Could Seattle Mariners Pull 'Rental Swap' With Another Club?

The Seattle Mariners will have an interesting offseason in front of them (as will the other 29 teams in the major leagues), and limited time to make the most of it.

When the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the MLB and MLB Players Association expires Dec. 1, a lockout will take place and teams will be unable to make any moves pertaining to the major league roster. Minor leaguers, who play under a different CBA than their major league counterparts, will continue with their season as-scheduled as long as they're not a part of the 40-man roster.

Seattle will be looking for at least one bullpen arm, one-to-two hitters and a "veteran infield presence" (who may or may not be included among the one-to-two hitters). If the Mariners do make those additions, they'll first attempt to find them via trade.

Seattle has roughly $30-35 million to spend in payroll, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said the team will look internally or to trade.

Per a post on "X" from MLB insider Jon Morosi, trade talks have been "more advanced" than they usually are by this time in November. Those talks can result in actual moves as soon as the MLB GM meetings, which take place Nov. 9-12 in Las Vegas. Many of those conversations have seemingly included players on the last year of their contracts, which include the ace of the Mariners' pitching rotation.

According to a separate report from Morosi on "X," trade candidates with one year of control left, such as M's starting pitcher Logan Gilbert and Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan are unlikely to be moved this abbreviated offseason for prospects. Morosi said those players entering 2027 under the last year of their deals could be moved for each other as a way for teams to "balance the risk."

One of the team's needs is either of the corner outfield spots, which Kwan would be able ti play, which would possibly make him a top target for the Mariners in the trade market.

Kwan slashed .282/.382/.349 with a .731 OPS in 151 games with Cleveland this season. He hit 21 doubles, three triples and three home runs with 32 RBIs.

As for Gilbert, he and Seattle have had extension discussions in the past, but have been unable to come to terms on a long-term deal. The 2024 All-Star hurler is set to enter his final year of arbitration.

Gilbert posted a 3.73 ERA and struck out 205 batters in 186 innings pitched across 32 starts. It was his second time finishing with over 200 fanned batters in the last three seasons.

The 29-year-old starter has long been considered the ace of the team's rotation, and it would be beneficial of the team to lock him down long-term as the center of a talented staff. However, the Mariners do have organizational depth at starting pitcher and could instead attempt to extend George Kirby, who won't be a free agent until after the 2028 season.

Due to the impending lockout and the potential of games being missed, Seattle will also be limited in the communication it can have with Gilbert on an extension. If the two sides can't agree to a deal, the team could also have limited time to negotiate with other clubs on a trade during the season. If either of these scenarios are considered likely, the Mariners could feel inclined to trade Gilbert in efforts of getting some kind of return for him.