Kirby slated to make final start ahead of Deadline as trade offers come in

SEATTLE -- Trade George Kirby? In this economy?

Yes, actually, the Mariners are considering it -- because the state of the marketplace in Seattle has reached its most unstable point of this season that began with such expectations.

According to league sources, as of Saturday morning, the Mariners had been engaged more aggressively by other clubs on the availability of Kirby ahead of Monday’s Trade Deadline.

However, multiple teams who’ve checked in get the sense that they would be surprised if he winds up being dealt, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

“Lots of talking happens at this time of year,” one source with knowledge of the Mariners’ discussions said.

A real tell to whether or not Seattle is open to trading Kirby is if he remains on turn to start Sunday’s matinee vs. the Twins -- the club’s final game before Monday’s 3 p.m. PT Deadline.

He was seen going through his full pregame prep on Saturday, and manager Dan Wilson said after a 4-3, walk-off win a few hours later that it remains the plan for Kirby to make that start.

Regardless, the fact that Kirby is being discussed speaks to a potential outlook shift within Seattle’s front office -- on the heels of a 2-5 road trip and after Friday night’s homestand-opening loss to Minnesota at T-Mobile Park, which dropped the club to five games below .500.

The Mariners did rebound on Saturday, via Cal Raleigh’s walk-off fielder’s choice, which scored Randy Arozarena from third base on an extremely close, head-first slide. But they remain in third place in the American League West.

Overall, the vibes around the club have been the lowest in nearly two years, when the club dismissed manager Scott Servais in late August of 2024 and replaced him with Dan Wilson.

Over the past week-plus, if not longer, the Mariners have made it clear to other clubs that they are open to dealing from their starting pitching depth. But those conversations had primarily centered on Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock.

However, that Kirby’s name has also surfaced suggests that traction on Castillo and Hancock might not be as strong.

Castillo, 33, is due the remainder of $24.15 million this season, $24.15 million next year and has a $25 million vesting option for 2028 if he accrues 180 innings in ‘27. Any return for him was expected to be marginal, and/or may necessitate the Mariners to absorb a chunk of his salary and attach a prospect.

Hancock is in the midst of his first solid season as a big league starter, is younger (27 years old), more affordable (he’s earning the league minimum through next season) and under club control through 2030.

Kirby, however, is the superior talent among those two, and many within the organization have long viewed him with the highest upside of its entire homegrown rotation. Other clubs clearly view this, too, despite a 4.10 ERA (94 ERA+, where league average is 100) over 43 starts across the past two seasons.

Kirby is earning $6.55 million this year, with that number likely to increase over his final two seasons of arbitration eligibility before reaching free agency after the 2028 season.

It’s long been viewed that, among Seattle’s controllable starters, Kirby is the least likely to sign a contract extension before free agency. That could also impact how the club views Kirby, especially with Kade Anderson, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 overall prospect, waiting in the wings.

Despite hovering around .500 for most of the season, until a 5-9 skid out of the All-Star break dropped them under .500 on July 22, the Mariners had made it clear to other clubs that they intend to be active buyers.

Yet, it’s been clear all summer that, in a buyer-heavy market, they may have to trade established pieces to fill their needs -- for a right-handed bat and bullpen help.

Entertaining offers on Kirby could align with this strategy, or it could represent a shift into a buy-and-sell tactic -- to attempt a salvage stretch within a weak division while also stocking up for 2027 and beyond.

“A full-on sale seems hard to believe,” one AL executive told Feinsand.

Seattle entered Saturday, per FanGraphs, with 40.8% odds to make the playoffs and 28.7% odds to win the AL West, each third in the division behind Texas and Houston. But the Mariners also had 4.1% odds to win the World Series, which was the highest among those three and third-highest in a weak AL, behind only the Yankees (12.1%) and Rays (6.4%).

“They’re a very good team,” another AL executive said of Seattle.

The Deadline has long been one of the most effective roster-building measures since president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto took over the 2015 season -- and it always comes with buzz.

Based on Saturday’s developments, it sure seems like the 2026 rendition could carry more of it.