The Seattle Mariners have made it clear where their financial chips are currently stacked: the bats have gotten paid, the arms are still waiting.
Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, and Josh Naylor - three pillars of the Mariners’ everyday lineup - are locked in through at least 2030. That’s a strong offensive core, and the front office has made sure it’s going to be around for a while. But when it comes to the young arms that have helped define Seattle’s recent success, the checkbooks haven’t come out just yet.
That’s not to say the clock is ticking loudly - at least not right now. Logan Gilbert is the first of the Mariners’ young starters approaching the end of his rookie deal, but he’s still got two seasons left before free agency becomes a real conversation.
Bryan Woo, meanwhile, is under team control through 2029. So there’s time.
But the longer these guys keep dealing, the more expensive those extensions could get.
Let’s talk about Woo for a second. The right-hander broke out in 2025, earning an All-Star nod and finishing fifth in AL Cy Young voting.
That’s not just promise - that’s production. He’s four years away from free agency, but performances like that don’t go unnoticed in front offices.
If Seattle wants to keep him in navy and teal for the long haul, now might be the time to start laying the groundwork.
Then there’s Gilbert, who was no slouch himself in 2024. Another All-Star, another top-six Cy Young finish.
He’s been the rotation’s tone-setter, and he’s the closest of the young starters to hitting the open market. The Mariners will have to make a decision on him sooner rather than later.
What’s interesting is that Seattle’s pitching staff still feels a bit like a hidden gem. Rodríguez and Raleigh are household names - face-of-the-franchise types.
But Gilbert and Woo? They’ve been flying just under the national radar, even as they’ve been dealing like front-line starters.
That started to change during the 2025 postseason, when the duo stepped into the spotlight and showed the baseball world just how dangerous this rotation can be.
And make no mistake: this is a rotation built for October. Deep, talented, and - when healthy - capable of matching up with anyone.
No need for bullpen games here. Seattle has the arms to go toe-to-toe in a seven-game series, and that’s the kind of luxury that turns contenders into champions.
The Mariners have already built a strong offensive foundation, and if they choose to invest in their young pitching the same way, they could be setting themselves up for something special. The next couple of seasons will be telling. If Gilbert and Woo keep pitching like this, Seattle may want to lock them in before their price tags soar.
The Pacific Northwest has been waiting a long time for a sustained run of success. With this mix of power bats and power arms, the Mariners might finally be on the cusp of delivering it.