Mariners GM lays bait for Logan Gilbert with contract extension remarks

Of all the players the Seattle Mariners could turn to for their next contract extension, Logan Gilbert is the obvious choice. But to hear it from general manager Justin Hollander, he has to come to them, not the other way around.

This is the CliffsNotes version of what Hollander had to say in an interview with Seattle Sports' Brock and Salk last Friday. It began with the ol' "we would love to do something" line, but more telling was the moment when Hollander put the ball firmly in Gilbert's court.

“I would love Logan to be a Mariner for a long time," he said. "He knows that. So beyond that, I think it’s silly to talk about it on the air, but Logan knows exactly how we feel about him, and when he’s ready to talk about it, sign me up.”

For what it's worth, Hollander doesn't need to talk Gilbert into the concept of an extension. Though the 28-year-old is only two years from free agency, he made it clear around this time last year that he'd love to stay in Seattle. His line then was that the team knew where he stood.

As such, Hollander's real message isn't hard to decipher. The team wants to do something with Gilbert, but only if the "something" is on their terms.

Logan Gilbert is between a rock and a hard place with his Mariners contract situation

Just as a reminder, here the active contract extensions the Mariners have done under Hollander and Jerry Dipoto:

• Julio Rodríguez: 12 years, $209.3 million
• Luis Castillo: 5 years, $108 million
• Cal Raleigh: 6 years, $105 million
• J.P. Crawford: 5 years, $51 million
• Andrés Muñoz: 5 years, $13.5 million
• Victor Robles: 2 years, $9.75 million

If there's a common theme here, it's the Mariners locking guys up for well below market value. The Rodríguez, Raleigh, Crawford and Muñoz all resemble remarkably club-friendly bargains struck with players who were years from free agency. Castillo and Robles, meanwhile, opted for security at moments when the open market was staring them in the face.

So when Hollandar says Gilbert knows "exactly how" the team feels about him, it feels like a tell. That how has almost certainly already been presented to Gilbert in the form of a number, and we can reasonably assume it's for less than what he stands to gain as a free agent after 2027.

Granted, free agency is weird now and could be subject to different rules if/when a new collective bargaining agreement is reached after 2026. But lest anyone forget just how in demand ace-caliber pitchers usually are, Dylan Cease just got a seven-year, $210 million contract when he was hot (well, "hot") off a 4.55 ERA.

And yet, the Mariners also have a stronger hand to play with Gilbert now than they did after 2024. He's not coming off leading all of MLB in innings and WHIP. He's coming off a season that was injury-shortened and generally less effective, and one in which Bryan Woo surpassed him as the club's No. 1 starter.

This puts Gilbert in a genuinely tough spot. He could bet on himself and aim for a huge payday in two years. Or, he could take the bait and work with the Mariners to get security now. Maybe the reward wouldn't be as great, but at least it would be better than the worst-case scenario.

No matter what decision Gilbert ultimately makes, expect the Mariners to keep doing what they've been doing: keep the door open, and make evidence to sell fans in the event that they eventually need to say, "See, we tried!"