Mariners should consider a Logan Gilbert trade to save him from a less desirable fate

Logan Gilbert's future with the Mariners has never been more uncertain. Last year saw plenty of extension rumors floating around, but momentum died down after he missed some time due to an elbow flexor strain and failed to build upon his 2024 campaign. Nonetheless, there was still some discussion about the possibility of him sticking around Seattle as recently as a few months ago.

The situation has evolved quite a bit since then. The Mariners now have two pitching prospects nearing the big leagues in Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, both of whom carry exceptional pedigree and are at the top of Baseball America's most recent top prospect list.

On the other hand, Gilbert is having one of the slowest starts of his career. Across 73.2 innings, he has a 3.79 ERA and a 4.15 FIP, satisfactory numbers but hardly ones worth paying a premium for, especially with potentially more compelling talent right behind him. He's giving up more hard contact than ever, especially against his fastball (.629 opposing slugging percentage), and is missing fewer bats, meaning it may be time for the club to consider alternative options.

Logan Gilbert could be worth more as a trade piece than as a postseason bullpen arm

At the moment, the majority of trade discussions are centered around Luis Castillo, who is stuck in a peculiar albeit effective piggyback situation with Bryce Miller as he continues to ramp back up following his reinstatement from the injured list. Castillo has been objectively less effective than Gilbert, posting a 5.53 ERA with a 4.18 FIP over 55.1 innings. Furthermore, Castillo has nearly $38 million of salary left on the books, providing an off-the-field incentive for Seattle to offload him.

But if Gilbert remains on the roster and maintains his current pace, would he be a viable option to make starts in the postseason? He hasn't exactly been lights out in the postseason, pitching to a 4.43 ERA in his five playoff appearances and allows quite a bit of traffic (1.47 WHIP). Assuming this year's regression continues, it may be a wiser move to allocate his innings to the likes of Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Emerson Hancock.

Trading Castillo would be more ideal, but it may return less value to the team and may require Seattle to pay some of his remaining salary. Trading Gilbert would deal a bigger blow to the pitching staff but could help them fix some of the more disappointing parts of the lineup. For many fans, it'd be a surprising decision but with the team's current logjam, a tough call will need to be made.

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