Mariners trade idea uses George Kirby to land .795 OPS utilityman and 3.18 ERA RP from Giants

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Mariners trade idea uses George Kirby to land .795 OPS utilityman and 3.18 ERA RP from Giants originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Seattle Mariners are 0.5 game back of the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead as they're 50-50 coming out of the first series post All-Star break.

This team has a chance to make the postseason and go on a deep run with a weak American League. However, to do so, they will need to upgrade their roster, specifically their offense. One way to do so is by trading from their stacked starting rotation.

But, instead of Luis Castillo, Jim Bowden of The Athletic proposed a trade idea where the Mariners use George Kirby to land a .795 OPS utilityman and a 3.18 ERA reliever from the San Francisco Giants.

Mariners trade idea sends George Kirby to Giants for a utilityman and a reliever​

"Marinres receive: Casey Schmitt, INF/OF/DH; Erik Miller, LHP. Giants receive: George Kirby, RHP," Bowden proposed.

This trade idea from Bowden would be a very bold one. Trading from their rotation wouldn't be a huge surprise for the Mariners, but giving up Kirby and not Castillo would be a much greater risk to take.

But, with Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan as prospect call-up options, there is a path to giving up Kirby even though his 3.76 ERA is much better than Castillo's 4.93 ERA.

Giving up someone as good as Kirby, the Mariners better be getting something good in return. This idea from Bowden would give the Mariners a few solid players.

Casey Schmitt, the utilityman who can play many different positions, with playing time at DH, first base, shortstop, second base, third base, and outfield this season.

But the 27-year-old isn't just a versatile defender; he's also a good hitter. He has a .278 batting average with 19 home runs, 101 hits, 17 doubles, 50 RBIs, a .795 OPS, and a 122 OPS+.

MORE: White Sox have strong interest in Mets’ Clay Holmes with scout attending rehab assignment

Schmitt isn't all the Giants would be sending to Seattle in this trade idea, either. Erik Miller, the 28-year-old left-handed reliever, has a 3.18 ERA this season in 33 appearances with two saves and 40 strikeouts in 28.1 innings pitched.

Bullpen is a need for Seattle, and Miller wouldn't be a bad option at all this summer. Being able to add both Miller and Schmitt would be a productive deadline for the Mariners.

To make this deal a bit more appealing, Miller and Schmitt are both under club control through the 2029 season. Kirby is under control through 2028, so the right-hander would hit free agency a year before Miller and Schmitt.

This trade idea from Bowden is a very intriguing one, as the Mariners would add the right-handed hitter they desperately need, along with acquiring another reliever to bolster their bullpen.

While Kirby is a lot to give up, their stacked rotation depth could make this deal worth it in the long-run for Seattle.

More MLB news:​

• Braves injury update on Spencer Strider has execs ‘pessimistic’ about a 2026 return
• Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani injury update essentially ends Cy Young chances
• Yankees send scouts to Cubs vs. Twins series amid trade interest in three players
• Phillies ‘would love’ to trade for Mets reliever Luke Weaver
• MLB execs believe Padres will trade Mason Miller at trade deadline

Continue reading...