The Mariners have spent too many winters holding onto their starting-pitching depth, but this offseason has the feel of a different conversation in Seattle. Arizona might be the cleanest match on the board.
That’s because Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, is looking for a controllable starting pitcher. The free-agent market may not be the place to find one, especially with starting pitching commanding premium prices and Arizona owner Ken Kendrick already floating the idea of lowering payroll in 2027.
Seattle has what Arizona wants. Logan Gilbert is under team control only through 2027, but the rest of the Mariners’ rotation depth stretches well beyond that: George Kirby through 2028, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo through 2029, Emerson Hancock through 2030 and Kade Anderson through 2032.
There’s also plenty of history between Hazen and Jerry Dipoto. Their timelines have overlapped for years, and the two clubs have already completed nine trades in 10 years, with six of those coming since 2022.
The fit is obvious in another way, too. The Mariners are shopping for as many as two right-handed bats, and with Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford both filing for free agency, the most natural landing spots are the outfield and the left side of the infield.
Arizona has some options there. AJ Eustace of MLB Trade Rumors pointed to outfielders Jordan Lawlar and Ryan Waldschmidt as possible names to watch. Lawlar was still viewed as a borderline top-10 prospect as recently as 2025, while Waldschmidt checked in as a top-100 prospect earlier this year.
A Miller-for-Lawlar deal has enough logic to make sense. Both players come with the same kind of profile: talented, but not without baggage because of injuries and uneven production. Lawlar, who is 24, also brings a little extra versatility, since he wasn’t always an outfielder and spent time at shortstop and third base in the minors.
If Seattle preferred Waldschmidt, the price tag likely climbs. That kind of framework would more naturally point toward Kirby or Hancock straight up, or perhaps a Woo-centered deal in which the Mariners receive additional pieces from Arizona. One possibility would be Woo for Waldschmidt and top infield prospect Demetrio Crisantes, a right-handed hitter.
The line gets firmer if the Diamondbacks ask about Anderson or Ryan Sloan. That’s where Dipoto would likely shut things down, unless he decided to get especially bold and explore what Arizona would demand for Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop.
For now, all of this lives in the realm of educated guessing. There’s no report yet of the Mariners and Diamondbacks actually working on a deal. But with these two front offices having both the relationship and the pieces to fill each other’s needs, it’s not hard to see why this pairing keeps popping up.
In Other News...
Mariners Manager Search Is Raising An Uncomfortable Question
The Mariners managerial search has already taken on a familiar edge of uncertainty, and Stephen Vogts name only sharpened it. Cleveland was willing to let him explore the Seattle opening, but Vogt never moved past the fringes of the process, while the Mariners continued sorting through a period defined by organizational questions and a need for stability.
Vogts decision to publicly commit to the Guardians only underscored the contrast between the two situations. In Cleveland, he has a steady landing spot and a team that knows where it stands, while Seattle is still trying to make its next move without much clarity about how aggressively it pursued one of the more intriguing candidates on the market. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Raleighs Slide Created A Mariners Question Fans Cant Ignore
Cal Raleigh entered 2025 with the kind of reputation that makes him one of the most valuable catchers in the game, backed by the Platinum Glove he won the year before and the steady two-way value Seattle has leaned on. But the season has brought a different conversation around him, one centered less on his power and presence in the middle of the lineup and more on how much his all-around game has slipped from that elite standard.
The offensive dip is only part of the concern for the Mariners, because Raleighs defense has also taken a noticeable step back and theres no easy explanation attached to it. Injuries may have played a role, but the bigger question for Seattle is whether this is a temporary downturn or the start of a longer decline from a catcher who had looked like one of the safest anchors on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Sent An Early Offseason Signal With Three Roster Calls
The first offseason moves from Seattle were more revealing than dramatic, and they offered a quick glimpse at how the front office is sorting out its next roster. Andrs Muoz will remain a late-inning fixture after the club exercised his option for 2027, while the Mariners moved on from options tied to Bryce Miller and Victor Robles as they began trimming down the roster picture.
Muozs return keeps one of the teams most important arms in place, but the decisions around Miller and Robles underline how much remains unsettled as Seattle heads deeper into the winter. Miller still stays under club control, while Robles now enters free agency, and the Mariners 40-man roster has already been cut to 34 players as the organization keeps reshaping the group around its core. [Read more 🡒]