The Seattle Mariners are sitting 50-50 after the first series coming out of the All-Star break, just a half-game behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West. With a weak American League giving them a real path to the postseason, the obvious question is how they upgrade enough to make a run.
One answer, at least in a trade idea from Jim Bowden of The Athletic, is to deal from their starting pitching depth. And in Bowden’s version, the Mariners would send George Kirby to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Casey Schmitt and Erik Miller.
“Marinres receive: Casey Schmitt, INF/OF/DH; Erik Miller, LHP. Giants receive: George Kirby, RHP,” Bowden proposed.
It’s a hefty price to pay, especially because Kirby is the arm going out instead of Luis Castillo. That alone makes this a far bolder swing than a more conventional rotation shuffle. Still, the Mariners do have a possible path to moving Kirby thanks to prospect options like Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, even if Kirby’s 3.76 ERA is well ahead of Castillo’s 4.93.
What Seattle would be getting back is the kind of package that fits the deadline needs pretty cleanly. Schmitt has been a true utility piece for San Francisco, getting time at DH, first base, shortstop, second base, third base and in the outfield this season. He’s also brought real production with the bat, hitting .278 with 19 home runs, 101 hits, 17 doubles, 50 RBIs, a .795 OPS and a 122 OPS+.
Miller would give the Mariners another bullpen arm to work with. The 28-year-old left-hander has posted a 3.18 ERA in 33 appearances, with two saves and 40 strikeouts in 28.1 innings pitched.
Control matters here too. Miller and Schmitt are both under club control through the 2029 season, while Kirby is under control through 2028, meaning the right-hander would reach free agency a year before the two players Seattle would receive.
For a Mariners club that needs offense and bullpen help, the appeal is obvious. Schmitt would give them the right-handed bat they’ve been missing, and Miller would deepen a relief corps that could use another dependable arm. Giving up Kirby would be a major move, but Bowden’s idea leans on Seattle’s rotation depth as the reason it might make sense over the long haul.
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