This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer’s Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Daniel Kramer, MLB.com’s Mariners beat reporter, held an “Ask Me Anything” on Thursday on Reddit at r/Mariners -- in the hours leading up to Opening Day. This mailbag features excerpted questions and answers from that event (some lightly edited for clarity). The full AMA is available here.
Has there been any traction on a contract extension for Logan Gilbert?
Word is that talks took place between the Mariners’ front office and Gilbert’s agents at Wasserman during Spring Training, but not to the point where both sides were close to an agreement. That’s not exactly shocking, nor is there extreme urgency to lock Gilbert up given that he has two seasons of club control remaining before reaching free agency.
That said, the closer a player gets to reaching the open market, the more enticed they can be to see what’s out there. Free agents like Dylan Cease and Max Fried each netted over $200 million the past two offseasons for deals that will comprise most of their 30s.
Sources familiar with Seattle’s thinking have said that there’s a legitimate desire to lock up Gilbert long-term. But it’s worth noting that the richest contract this front office has given to a pitcher was the five-year, $115 million deal to Robbie Ray in the 2021-22 offseason, followed by the five-year, $108 million extension to Luis Castillo later that year.
At least in years past, there’s been trepidation to go beyond five years. But Gilbert is a homegrown arm that they know and love -- for embodying all of their philosophies while blossoming into a clubhouse leader.
Earning $10,927,000 this year, Gilbert has made it clear that he loves pitching in Seattle for the culture, the familiarity and teammates who’ve become his closest friends. There’s genuine interest to get this done, but the holdup so far -- from both sides -- appears to be the price point.
If not Gilbert, which of the young starters would the club most like to extend?
Some within the front office believe that George Kirby, who’s three seasons away from free agency, still has the highest ceiling among their homegrown arms. But there’s also belief that he might be the least likely of that group to lock up -- whether it’s for his East Coast roots, influences in his decision-making or extremely competitive personality that could lend toward seeking full market value among multiple suitors.
Bryan Woo is in that perfect window of where these types of extensions can get done -- for being on a trajectory toward, but not completely at, his full potential and far enough away from free agency (after the 2029 season).
That combination typically gives leverage to both sides -- for the player to command enough life-changing money and for the club to not spend at the top of potential market value. Sources have said that the Mariners have explored what an extension could look like with Woo’s representatives at Apex.
What do you think will be the Mariners’ target(s) at the Trade Deadline?
It’s never too early to talk about Deadline, though for a roster without holes, it’s hard to envision what its needs will be four months out.
A safe bet would be that they’re more aggressive in the relief market. They wanted to be last year and were nearly at the finish line to acquire Jhoan Duran before the Phillies swooped in. And that fallout underscored the market’s climate, and how costly relievers were.
Seattle’s bullpen is in a good place entering 2026. But it’ll be worth monitoring how Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier and Carlos Vargas bounce back after career-high workloads, and how Matt Brash handles his first full season back from Tommy John surgery.
If things remain mostly the same, this is the area that Seattle’s front office will target.
How much will the lineup miss Jorge Polanco?
This is a fair question, given that Polanco crushed 26 homers and was the lineup’s linchpin in October. That’s a lot of run production to replace, not to mention that expecting another 60-homer season from Cal Raleigh is unrealistic.
But the Mariners might not have to backfill as much power as it might appear.
The club is bullish on Cole Young as their everyday second baseman, and his power display at Spring Training underscored legitimate pop. Then there’s anticipation that Julio Rodríguez takes another career step forward. Brendan Donovan won’t hit for as much power, but he’ll regularly be on base for Rodríguez and Raleigh.
And one factor that could swing this is actually an inverse -- the health of their rotation. If that group makes most of its starts, run suppression could help mitigate how much run production is needed.