Multiple Teams Have Reportedly Inquired About Seattle Mariners Starting Pitcher

The Seattle Mariners are looking to turn their fortunes around, which grew worse with a 5-3 loss against the Minnesota Twins on Friday.

The Mariners will be getting several injured players back in the coming days and weeks but will also be looking to add via the trade market before the 3 p.m. PT deadline on Monday.

Seattle has a clear surplus to trade from, which is its starting rotation. The Mariners currently have six starters on the major league roster with two top 100 prospects, left-hander Kade Anderson and right-hander Ryan Sloan, with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers.

It's been reported for weeks now that the Mariners are willing to trade either right-hander Emerson Hancock, who's in the middle of a career-best season, or right-hander Luis Castillo. The latter of the two is in the midst of his worst campaign for Seattle but is by far the highest-earner on the rotation and the oldest of the team's hurlers.

Apparently, the M's is also listening to calls on one more starter.

According to a report on "X" from ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, multiple teams have "engaged" in talks with the Mariners centered on right-hander George Kirby and the thought is that the team is willing to move him at the deadline.

Kirby is one Seattle's homegrown pitchers and was selected in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Elon. He made his major league debut in 2022 and has been one of the team's steadiest starters since, often slotting second or third in the rotation. He made the All-Star Game in 2023.

The 28-year-old is in his second year of arbitration and is playing under a $6.55 million salary this year. He's under team control through 2028.

Kirby has posted a 3.98 ERA this season with 107 strikeouts in 120 innings pitched across 20 starts. He has a career ERA of 3.65 with 728 fanned batters across 757.2 innings of work across 132 starts. He has six quality starts in his last seven outings.

It's long been thought that the team's Opening Day starter from the last two seasons, Logan Gilbert (who was selected by the M's in the first round one year before Kirby), is likelier to re-sign a long-term extension with the club than Kirby, which could be a reason why the Mariners aren't willing to part with the former.

In addition, Kirby has long been regarded as one of the best command pitchers in the league. Due to Hancock having one "full" year as a starter and Castillo being older, in the midst of a disappointing season and commanding a salary of over $22 million, Kirby will likely earn the best trade return of the three.

Seattle has several needs at the deadline and could be looking for one big swing in the trade market to shift its fortunes. The Mariners entered Saturday with a 53-58 record and are third in the American League West, three games out of first in the division and third wild card spot in the American League.