Mariners trade rumors focused on pitchers as deadline ticks down

The Seattle Mariners have already made a pair of moves ahead of the 3 p.m. Monday MLB trade deadline, and it remains a possibility that more could be coming.

Brock and Salk: Mariners get ‘big upgrade’ in Taylor Ward trade

While the Mariners picked up outfielder Taylor Ward on Monday morning from the Baltimore Orioles, rumors and reports by MLB insiders have been focused on pitchers Monday – and that means both pitchers that the M’s could acquire, and those that the M’s could trade themselves.

Mariners insider Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports reported late Monday morning that the M’s are “working to add another arm,” but the report didn’t end there. She also said Seattle is “open to moves on other fronts where the potential for impact remains.”

With under 4 hours to go until the trade deadline, the Mariners are working to add another arm while open to moves on other fronts where the potential for impact remains. The likelihood for such a move is unclear.

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) August 3, 2026

What could those “moves on other fronts” potentially be? It could include a pair of starting pitchers that the Mariners have been said to be open to entertaining offers for: George Kirby and Emerson Hancock.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic wrote earlier Monday morning that “executives who have spoken with the Mariners say they have been actively listening over the weekend” in regards to Kirby and Hancock – even after they dealt veteran starter Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox for a three-player return on Saturday night.

According to Stark, one executive of a team “engaged in these talks” said the Toronto Blue Jays’ trade with the Los Angeles Angels for starter José Soriano “opens a clear window” for the Mariners to trade one of their pitchers with multiple years of club control remaining.

Per Stark, Hancock is believed to be more likely to be traded due to the Mariners putting a “huge price tag” on Kirby.

A closer look at Mariners’ haul from Luis Castillo trade

Seattle has some flexibility to deal from their rotation, as it was using a six-man rotation rather than the usual five-man version prior to the Castillo trade, and it has baseball’s top pitching prospect per MLB Pipeline, Kade Anderson, waiting in the wings in Double-A – as well as baseball’s No. 3 pitching prospect, Ryan Sloan, in Arkansas with him.

As for another name who had been rumored to be potentially available, All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena appears to be staying put. Adam Jude, who covers the Mariners for The Seattle Times, wrote after the Ward trade that the Mariners “intend to hang on to” Arozarena, who is set to be a free agent after this season and has been Seattle’s best hitter in 2026.

The addition of Ward could have made Arozarena more expendable as both are right-handed hitters who have exclusively played left field this season, but Seattle’s biggest need on offense going into the day was for a righty bat, so subtracting Arozarena from the lineup seemed like a tough sell.

Seattle Mariners trade deadline coverage

• ‘He was loved here’: M’s pitchers reflect on Luis Castillo’s impact
• Drayer breaks down Mariners’ Luis Castillo trade
• Teams getting sense Seattle Mariners’ Kirby available in trades

Related

Trade Deadline: Ex-M’s pitcher, Portland native among big names on the moveBrock and Salk: Mariners get ‘big upgrade’ in Taylor Ward tradeMariners trade Orioles for outfielder Taylor WardMLB Trade Deadline: The moves of note around the leagueA closer look at Mariners’ haul from Luis Castillo trade‘He was loved here’: M’s pitchers reflect on Luis Castillo’s impact