Will Seattle Mariners Be Able to Swing Trade Before Lockout?

The Seattle Mariners, like all other 29 teams in Major League Baseball, will convene in Las Vegas this week for the annual general managers meetings.

In a typical year, the GM meetings serve as a precursor to the winter meetings, which is where a flurry of activity happens on the free agent and trade market.

However, this is not a normal year, with the looming lockout set to take hold of the sport on Dec. 1 at 9:00 p.m. PT.

As a result of that, teams have compressed time periods to make moves for the 2027 season. You either get something done before the lockout in the next three weeks or you wait until the lockout is over and utilize the time between the lockouts end and spring trainings beginning, which is likely going to be compressed as well.

I personally don't expect the Mariners to spend a lot of money before the lockout when the financial situation of the league is unknown, so the best chance for the Mariners to make improvements until the lockout is through the trade market.

Under Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners have been exceptionally active in the trade market, acquiring Ty France, Matt Brash, Andres Munoz, Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winker, Randy Arozarena, Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco, Suarez again and Brendan Donovan just since 2020. 

So, will Seattle be able to swing a trade in the next few weeks? We spoke to ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on the most recent "Refuse to Lose Territory" podcast about his recent claims that the M's are "poking around" the trade market.

"I think, first and foremost, generally speaking, I'd say they're going to be very few trades before the lockout happens. But there are going to be a ton of trade conversations.

And what I'm hearing from other teams is the Mariners are looking around, and they're just seeing what's possible.

And it might be that these are, and we saw this back in the last labor situation, where in the fall of 2021, there's a bunch of conversations at the GM meetings, the lockout happens, and then when we go to, when the CBA is resolved, was resolved in spring, then all of a sudden there's a rash of deals. Like, there's rapid-fire stuff going on all over the place, trades being made.

And what I'm hearing is that the Mariners are checking in on things, and they certainly, I mean, some of these teams, you've got, for example, the Mets, the Cubs, and the San Diego Padres desperately in need of starting pitching.

Well, if you're the Mariners, you would assume there might be some conversations there that you can start those conversations now, and then you can, if there's something that looks interesting, then you can follow up with those after the CBA is signed.

I don't think that there's going to be many trades at all because no one knows what the rules are going to be after the CBA until the CBA is signed."

If the Mariners are inclined to move a starting pitcher, there are many different options for them. Logan Gilbert is headed into the final year of his contract while George Kirby has two years left. Beyond them, the M's could potentially get something solid for Bryce Miller or Emerson Hancock, who both have at least three years left.

It does not seem likely that the M's would trade Ryan Sloan, Kade Anderson or Bryan Woo.

The Mariners are coming off a season in which they went 76-86 and finished third in the American League West.

The team hired Jason Kanzler as its newest manager this week. He replaces Dan Wilson.