The New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners don’t have much in common. One is a big-money franchise on the East Coast with a proven track record of winning, while the other is a scrappy team on the West Coast yet to make its first appearance in the World Series.
However, they’re starting to seem more like peers this season. In addition to leading their respective divisions, both are poised to make big moves at the trade deadline to round out their respective postseason pushes. It also just so happens that their roster needs could align in a way that would make them perfect dance partners.
In a recent article, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Yankees are on the hunt for another right-handed bat and a starter to bolster the rotation. Seattle would have a hard time giving New York the offensive support it needs, especially since the Yankees are prioritizing third basemen and the Mariners don’t have the most appealing options at this time, but a deal to send a starting pitcher to the Big Apple could be exactly what both teams need.
The Mariners’ starting pitching surplus could make them a trading partner for the Yankees
In terms of specific names, Luis Castillo likely makes the most sense as a target for the Yankees. After a rocky first month, he has returned to his old self and has gotten his ERA down to 3.32 over 62.1 innings, allowing a total of just four earned runs over his last three starts.
Not only would Castillo be an effective starter for the Yankees, his $24.15 million salary makes him the highest-paid player on the Mariners and trading him would give the team a 16 percent discount on their payroll for the rest of the year, which could be allocated elsewhere.
An even less exciting possibility for Mariners fans would be trading Logan Gilbert. He’s set to hit free agency in 2028, the same year as Castillo (assuming the option in the final year of his contract vests), so he’d come with a decent amount of team control. He has all the makings of an ace and despite hitting the injured list recently, his recovery has progressed incredibly smoothly thus far.
Unfortunately for New York, packaging away Castillo or Gilbert would really only be possible if the Mariners had no chance to make the postseason. Given their narrow but still very real lead in the AL West, they’re just as in it as the Yankees. In fact, FanGraphs currently gives them a 73.4 percent chance to secure a playoff berth, likely making them buyers at this year’s deadline.
In order for both teams to come to mutually satisfying terms, the Mariners would probably send over a younger, less proven talent that’s extraneous to them but still beneficial for the Yankees. Given the state of the back half of their rotation, they’ll take all of the help they can get. Max Fried and Carlos Rodón have been dealing, but the remainder of the rotation has been less than impressive. With Gerrit Cole out for the season and Luis Gil still working his way back, even someone like Emerson Hancock or Logan Evans could net the team some much-needed run prevention.
Despite his surprise demotion on Wednesday, Evans in particular is someone several teams may have their eye on this year. Normally, someone with so much team control would be off-limits. But with Seattle’s starting pitching logjam, he could be very well end up on the table. His prospect stock was reaching all-time highs at the start of the season and if his last start against the Washington Nationals is any indication, he could be a game-changing arm for almost all other MLB teams wanting to improve their rotation.
But what could the Mariners ask for in return? It’s hard to say for certain, but it is clear that there is an excess of offensive talent in the Bronx, a thesis supported by the team combining for an MLB-leading .809 OPS. The lineup is a little beat up at the moment with Oswaldo Cabrera, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list. But when they do return to action, the crowding of the designated hitter position could be an issue.
The Yankees would more willingly let go of Stanton, but the Mariners would scoff at the financial burden of his contract. There may be a deal to be made for Ben Rice that would require a more valuable package from the Mariners, but he’d be far more valuable than an older, more injury-prone Stanton. Furthermore, it seems like New York is looking for any way to keep him around.
The details of this hypothetical transaction are for the great minds of the front offices to figure out. But at a glance, it’s clear that the Mariners’ surplus of starting pitching and the Yankees’ bumper crop of bats could come together to form a major trade as the deadline approaches. If a deal does get done, they might be the only teams capable of stopping each other’s marches to the World Series.
