Former GM explains his ‘bad’ Mariners trade idea

The weeks leading up to the MLB trade deadline always provide plenty of trade-proposal ideas from analysts and prognosticators around baseball.

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Some of those coming up with the deals are more qualified than others. Very few have the credentials of The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, a former MLB general manager.

Bowden recently led a trade proposal article with an interesting trade idea for the Mariners: sending starting pitcher George Kirby to the San Francisco Giants for utility man Casey Schmitt and lefty reliever Erik Miller.

Does that sound like too small of a haul in return for a former All-Star pitcher like Kirby? Well, Bowden himself described the trade as “bad,” but he explained why the deal could still make sense for the M’s during a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Tuesday.

Bowden said his preference would be to trade Luis Castillo if he were to trade a starting pitcher, but a player like Kirby is one who could push a deal through for one of the better right-handed bats thought to be available in a market that lacks them.

He also noted Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto pinpointed a right-handed bat and high-leverage reliever as the club’s top targets during a recent interview on Bowden’s show on MLB Network Radio.

“I just kind of look through the 29 other teams to try to figure out a way (of), ‘How can I get the Mariners a right-handed bat that the Phillies and other teams have been trying to get that just aren’t out there and get the reliever that he wants?'” Bowden said. “And so then I kind of landed on, well, the Giants do have Casey Schmitt, who’s got 19 homers on his way to 25 to 30. Erik Miller’s last eight appearances, he hadn’t given up a run. … He punches everybody out.”

“If you take Schmitt and you take Miller and you put them on the Mariners, that solves the two big needs you say you need,” Bowden added. “So, maybe you make a bad trade and you win the World Series and it was worth it.”

Breaking down the trade

Kirby, who is under club control through the 2028 campaign, has been among the league’s most dependable starters since debuting in 2022. His 3.8% walk rate is first and 753 2/3 innings pitched are 14th among MLB pitchers since his debut season. He’s also ninth in ERA (3.58) among 23 pitchers with at least 700 innings pitched during that stretch, ahead of names like Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan and Miami’s Sandy Alcantara.

After a down year by his standards in 2025 when he posted a career-worst 4.21 ERA over 23 starts, Kirby has a 3.57 ERA in 116 innings over 19 starts this year. He’s been particularly good over his past four starts, posting a 1.73 ERA over 26 innings.

If there is one knock on Kirby’s game, it’s that he’s in and around the strike zone so often that he gives up plenty of hits, as evident by the American League-high 124 hits he’s allowed this season.

Schmitt, who is also under club control through 2028, is enjoying a breakout campaign in his fourth big-league season. He’s batting .273 with a .787 OPS, 20 homers and 17 doubles in 94 games. He would also add some lineup flexibility due to his ability to play all over the field. He’s manned every infield position and left field this season, with most of his timing coming in left field and the corner infield spots.

However, Schmitt’s offensive production is heavily reliant on getting hits to fall. He’s walked just 11 times in 396 plate appearances, good for a 2.8% walk rate that ranks last among qualified MLB hitters.

Miller has built off his strong 2025 season with another good year in ’26, sporting a 3.07 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. He’s currently on a run of ten straight scoreless appearances, a streak that dates back to June 19.

Miller has some intriguing stuff with a hard sinker in the mid-to-upper 90s and a wipeout slider, but command has been an issue. He’s walked 20 batters and his 16.1% walk rate is the 10th-highest among pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings this year.

“I think the Giants win the trade and I think the Mariners’ team is better. That’s where the balance is,” Bowden said. “You got (top pitching prospect) Kade Anderson sitting in the minors that I think can do what Kirby is doing. So, it’s replaceable. So if I added Kade Anderson and Schmitt’s 25 to 30 homers and Miller’s impact in the back of the bullpen, does that give me a better chance to win this year? I think so. That’s kind of how I looked at it.

“But yes, it’s giving up too much for me. Again, I’d like to keep all the pitching. It’s so hard to get. That would be my preference, but I was trying to find a way to satisfy what Jerry’s trying to do, and it’s not easy in this marketplace right now to get a right-hand hitter. You can get a reliever, but it’s hard to get that right-hand hitter with power.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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