The Seattle Mariners already have plenty on their offseason plate, and Logan Gilbert may be one of the biggest decisions sitting right in the middle of it.
Seattle is staring at a managerial search, plus the possibility of losing Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford to free agency.
But Gilbert’s situation could end up mattering just as much. The right-hander is headed into the final year of his club control in 2027, and if the Mariners don’t extend him, he’ll be one of the headline names on the market after that season.
So far, there’s been little public sign of serious extension talks between Seattle and Gilbert. That naturally opens the door to a bigger question: should the Mariners consider moving him this offseason instead of risking a future departure? Ryan Rowland-Smith doesn’t think so.
During Monday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, the Mariners analyst and former MLB pitcher made the case that Gilbert should be kept in Seattle, not shopped.
“You got a dude who wants to pitch in (Game) 162, and the way he came out, it was not some wave to the fans and thank you. He (brought) the same intensity (he normally would),” Rowland-Smith said. “You need him when you’ve got a Kade Anderson, Ryan Sloan and so on to say, ‘This is how we do things.'”
Gilbert’s final start of the season backed up that point. In a meaningless Game 162 for the Mariners, he punched out eight batters over four perfect innings before a leadoff walk in the fifth brought his day to an end.
“Many guys would just say I don’t need to pitch… just have a bullpen day,” Rowland-Smith said. “Do you know how many guys I’ve played with who would do that? Do not get rid of Logan Gilbert - 1,000%.”
Gilbert’s production is hard to ignore, too. The 29-year-old was one of only 13 pitchers in the majors to reach 200 strikeouts this season, and one of just five to do it while logging at least 180 innings. Over six big-league seasons, he owns a 3.60 ERA and 1,089 strikeouts across 1,021 1/3 innings.
He’s also been a workhorse for much of his career. The Stetson product has thrown at least 180 innings in four of his five full seasons, with 2025 being the only year he landed on the injured list.
“Pay the man. Have him here for a long time because he is so valuable,” Rowland-Smith said.
“Logan Gilbert, sometimes I take him for granted. He’s, again, in the clubhouse and in that dugout, he is gold with some of these young players who you plan to bring up.”
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