Logan Gilbert's comments should force Mariners to start spending money the right way

There has been a flurry of extensions around MLB over the past few weeks. The Seattle Mariners were, interestingly enough, actually one the first movers on this front, but they haven't been the last.

Here are some of the more notable deals to be closed recently:

• Arizona Diamondbacks extended Ketel Marte through 2031 for $116.5 million
• San Diego Padres extended Jackson Merrill through 2034 for $135 million
• Boston Red Sox extended Garrett Crochet through 2031 for $170 million
• Boston Red Sox extended Kristian Campbell through 2032 for $60 million

For the Mariners, there are several good candidates to extend next and one of them is current ace Logan Gilbert. When asked about his feelings about sticking around Seattle for a little longer, he has had positive things to say. Yet it takes two to tango and so far, the Mariners don't seem to be on the dance floor.

However, Gilbert's most recent comments may give them even more incentive to get a deal done soon.

During the press conference officially announcing Cal Raleigh's extension, Gilbert spoke to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times and other members of the press about his feelings on the matter. He spent most of the time discussing their relationship and how impactful Raleigh's presence behind the dish has helped his own success on the mound, saying "he knows me as a pitcher better than anyone."

It shows in the statistics. Over 1,122 innings caught in 2024, pitchers posted a 3.30 ERA and 9.13 K/9 with Raleigh receiving. His 13 framing runs above average gave his pitchers free strikes and was a big contributor to his Platinum Glove win. He got 49 strikes outside the zone for Gilbert in 2024, including five that ended at-bats with a strikeout.

Gilbert has, so far, continued where he left off last year, starting the season with a 3.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts over his first two starts. If he keeps up the fantastic work and Seattle wants to take a closer look at giving him a bigger contract, they can follow the formula set by the Red Sox with their extension for Crochet.

So outside of getting a Cy Young Award contender capable of giving you a consistent streams of 30 starts per season, Gibert's synergies with a catcher who is already slated to be around for the next several years make him greater than he would potentially would be anywhere else.

The front office has made it clear that they're not huge on investing in outside talent, but they've shown a surprising openness to betting on their homegrown guys. Gilbert fits the bill and with Julio Rodríguez and Raleigh, he could form the start of a rock-solid nucleus around which to build a contending team.