The Phillies continue to float Alec Bohm around in trade talks, and it seems like Dave Dombrowski is swinging for the fences with this one. This is from Adam Jude of The Seattle Times:

“Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm has been the most popular named linked to the Mariners in trade speculation early in the offseason.

In initial trade talks between the two clubs, the Phillies asked for one of the Mariners’ top pitchers — Logan Gilbert or George Kirby — in exchange for Bohm, a source with knowledge of the discussions said.”

The Mariners had arguably the best pitching staff in baseball last year, finishing 1st in the American League in ERA, 4th in Ks, and 1st in all of baseball in WHIP. Gilbert and Kirby were two massive pieces in that Mariners rotation that also consisted of Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, and Bryan Woo.

If Dombrowski thinks he’s getting any sort of Bohm swap for one of these two guys, he’s out of his mind. But it’s pretty telling how much we’ve heard about starting pitching this offseason, whether it’s Gilbert/Kirby, Garrett Crochet, Blake Snell rumors, and more. It’s obvious that Dombrowski wants to continue to bolster this starting rotation that was already great last season.

Kirby, 26, tallied a 14-11 record with a 3.53 ERA with 179 Ks. Gilbert, a 27-year-old strikeout machine, fanned 220 batters with a 3.23 ERA and an 0.89 WHIP in 33 starts while being selected to his first All-Star Game. Gilbert is under team control through the 2027 season, while Kirby is under control through 2028.

Mariners President of Baseball Operations, Jerry Dipoto, made it clear that Seattle doesn’t want to break up this elite starting rotation. But the Mariners need bats if they want to seriously push for a title. One of these guys might have to go to get a serious threat that upgrades their team.


Seattle already parted ways with Josh Rojas, their 3rd baseman, after a disappointing year at the plate. Rojas hit .225 with just 31 RBIs and a .641 OPS in 142 games.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Mariners and Phillies get brought up together this week. David Schoenfield of ESPN, in an article with Kiley McDaniel, suggested a potential Bohm swap for Luis Castillo, who is still owed $72M over the next 3 seasons.

I’d be shocked if any 3 of these potential deals (Gilbert, Kirby, Castillo) didn’t require the Phillies to tag another prospect along with Bohm. But if they are serious about continuing to upgrade this rotation, George Kirby or Logan Gilbert would be an awesome addition.