New batch of Mariners extension rumors points to obvious SP contract priority

The 2026 regular season is underway, but one need only look at the freshly signed Nico Hoerner deal to remember that extension season isn't over. Seattle Mariners fans have every reason to hope one of their guys could be next, particularly if it's one of the starting pitchers.

To this end, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com dropped some intel in a Reddit AMA on Thursday that hits on extension possibilities for the club's three most prominent homegrown starters: Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryan Woo.

The Mariners have actually had extension talks with representatives for Gilbert and Woo. That doesn't appear to be the case with Kirby, who the Mariners are high on but apparently see as potentially "the least likely" of the homegrown starters to sign something.

Mariners extension efforts should clearly be focused on Bryan Woo

If it's a question of timing, Gilbert should obviously be the Mariners' top priority. He's only two seasons away from becoming a free agent, yet he and the franchise obviously have a good relationship. He's been the Opening Day starter two years in a row, and he's been open about wanting to stay in Seattle.

However, actually extending Gilbert feels easier said than done.

Kramer alluded to "the price point" as the holdup in talks, and that felt like the case even before recent extensions around the league upped the ante. Save for the impending lockout, Gilbert has no reason to sell himself short this close to free agency. The Mariners, though, should be cautious after his up-and-down 2025 season.

For his part, Kirby is three years from free agency and therefore could be more willing to listen if the Mariners approached him with a serious offer. But even setting aside his own preferences, he's also best approached with caution after an up-and-down season of his own last year.

This brings us to Woo, who still offers the perfect Goldilocks ratio as an extension candidate.

He only just turned 26 on January 30, so he's still young. He's four seasons from free agency, so he has reason to listen if approached about financial security. He's also just plain the best pitcher the Mariners have right now, as seen in a 2.92 ERA over 52 starts since the beginning of 2024.

The pitfall with Woo concerns his history with injuries, but that's where his youth and distance from free agency come back into play as reasons for him to listen. He can rationalize that he has just as much as the Mariners to gain from negotiating now, but potentially more to lose if he doesn't.

As for what Woo could be worth, Shane Baz's new five-year, $68 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles is a telling point of comparison. Woo is a year further away from free agency, but younger and more established. As such, a pricier version of that deal would be a fair ask.

For what it's worth, it was only a couple days ago that Jerry Dipoto threw cold water on the likelihood of any new deals getting done before Opening Day. But now that Opening Day has passed, he wouldn't necessarily be revealed as a liar if something got done in the next day, week, month or year.