Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Could the Seattle Mariners Still TRADE One of Their Starting Pitchers Even as Buyers?!

Starting point is 00:00:00 Could the Marys still trade a starting pitcher, even if they're buying at this year's deadline? We'll answer that and more. Coming up here on Mailbag Monday, Colby, hit it. You are Locked-on Mariners, your daily Seattle Mariners podcast. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Ahoy, Sailors, it is Monday, June 1st, 2026. My name is Tedding Gislaus, and I'm joined as always by my host, Colby Patnode. This episode is brought to you by GameTime.

Starting point is 00:00:33 Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the promo code, on, that's O-C-K-E-O-N for $20 off your first purchase. And on today's show, we'll be opening up the mailbag to answer some of your mariners questions. Starting with this one from Jerob Moon, who wants to know, the marons are 4 and 15 when they don't hit a home run. Are they too reliant on the long ball to score? Or is this what we should expect with the construction of the roster? Yeah, it's what you should expect with the construction of this roster.

Starting point is 00:00:59 This is how this roster was intended to be built to hit a ton of homers and pitch incredible well because that's the formula for success specifically in October and it's a formula that nearly took the Mariner's to the World Series not even a year ago. So it's hard for me to say that they're too reliance on the long ball because again, it's something that has worked for them and it's something that works pretty consistently for every team that makes a deep run in the postseason. that said yes i would like to see them find other ways to win offensively specifically if they're not putting the ball over the fence i would like for them to be able to you know hit a double down the line and score a couple runs that way a little more consistently than they do right now

Starting point is 00:01:51 and it would be cool if you know say at the deadline they acquired another hitter or two that that that helped them do that. But in general, yeah, this is how the roster was built. And again, it's a formula that has worked for not just them, but a lot of teams. Yeah, there's a lot of ways to win baseball games. The race don't hit a lot of home runs, and they have one of the best records in baseball. But, you know, consistent, pretty consistently over the last decade plus home runs, tend to be the best way to score runs.

Starting point is 00:02:31 It's the most predictable way to score runs because pitching is so good right now that it's really hard to string multiple hits together to score a run. And by the way, when you factor in Team Mobile Park, it's not a great ballpark for doubles either. So you really have to string together at least three singles to score a run at Team Mobile Park, or you could just try and put it over the fence.

Starting point is 00:02:54 So the ballpark, again, the Mariners' ballpark, does factor into this because you can't hit home runs there to the pole sides pretty well. Like it really isn't a home run suppressive park to the pole sides, but it is up the middle. And so it's really tough to, again, it's tough to hit doubles. And if it's tough to get three hits in a row together and you factor in the fact that you play half your games in a ballpark that just doesn't allow for many doubles or triples on top of it, it kind of makes sense to build your offense around the home run ball. So, yeah, I mean, look, they've added some players who can certainly help you score runs the other way.

Starting point is 00:03:32 But the biggest addition, Brennan Donovan, is on the IL right now. He's missed more than half the season so far, or close to half. So, you know, that does factor in here. That could be an addition the Mariners get back to help them score runs in a, I guess, more traditional way. But at the end of the day, you want your team to hit home runs, obviously. You know, it's, I mean, the Mariners hit four on Saturday. Didn't hear anybody complaining then. So it's just kind of one of those things where it's like, look, in the playoffs especially,

Starting point is 00:04:03 home runs are really important. The Blue Jays go on their run last year because they just started hitting nukes in the playoffs. Like, you know, and it came from everybody up and down the lineup. So it really is, you know, just an insane fact that you have to hit home runs to win in Major League Baseball right now. to win with any consistency. You have to do it. The raise off to a great start so far. We'll see if they can continue this. I mean, the Brewers did last year. They did a very similar thing to what the rays are doing right now, but the Brewers also got swept in the NLCS after having the best record in baseball during the regular season. They weren't even close to the Dodgers. Why? Because

Starting point is 00:04:43 you have to hit home runs, because it's really tough to get three hits in a row off of Blake Snell. It's really tough to get three hits in a row off of Yamamoto, you know, and so you have have to put the ball over the fence because you're probably not going to be able to do that. So it's just one of those things where it's like you want to be able to score runs in other ways. But having your primary method for, you know, scoring runs be the home run is not necessarily a bad thing. You'd like a little more balance.

Starting point is 00:05:10 Sure. But the 4 and 15 record, I don't know. It's probably worse than average, but I don't know what Major League average winning percentage is for a team that doesn't hit a home run in a game. but I'm going to guess it's 40% or less. I mean, it's just the way the game is built right now. And the Mariners don't have enough of the other type of player to try and completely rebuild the offense and how they go about scoring runs.

Starting point is 00:05:34 They have a lot of guys who are just going to hit home runs. And that's totally fine. And that's probably the best way to play out to try and score runs at Team Mobile Park in particular too. Spacecoat Steve wants to know who gets the short end of the stick once Brennan Donovan comes back. What do you mean in terms of like who gets moved off of the 26 man roster or who just loses playing time as a result of Donovan being back on the roster? Yeah. If it's the playing time one, the answer is everybody and nobody. I feel like maybe the most of everybody would be probably Canzone and Rayleigh.

Starting point is 00:06:13 Probably, but also probably a pretty decent chunk from Cole Young. J.P. Crawford's probably going to lose a start or two, and so is Colt Emerson, so is Randy, Julio, probably. Not because obviously Donovan will play shortstop or centerfield, but because he'll play a position where somebody else can move to center field, and Julio can get a day off. And we talked about this last year. There is nothing wrong with giving your star players, you know, days off throughout the year. We talked about how. Randy's played in every game and Julio's played in every game.

Starting point is 00:06:47 You know, started all but one. Cole Young's played and started every game, I'm pretty sure. So, JP, you know, if not for starting the year on the IL, he would have played every game. Like, you really do have to, and we talked about this last year, like, Randy just looked gassed at the end of the year last year. You know, and so it really is important to get these guys off their feet so you have them in October. And there's nothing wrong with having Donovan play, you know, five games a week at four different positions. that's good. It gives you ultimate flexibility.

Starting point is 00:07:20 It also improves your bench without having to go out and acquire another player. You're telling me that every night, one of, you know, Rayleigh, Canzone, Young, Emerson, JP, Julio, Randy, one of them is going to be on the bench to start every night. And I get to hand pick when I put that player in the game. That's not a bad thing. And they're going to be days where Donovan's going to be on the bench. And again, I get to hand pick when I get to put that player in the game. Yeah, that that's a really good thing. So I don't wouldn't look at it as getting the short end.

Starting point is 00:07:49 But I do think that Donovan's going to move around. I do think we're going to see multiple guys getting, you know, their weekly day off. And I think that's a really good thing because I don't want Julio playing 160 games. I don't want Randy playing 160 games. I certainly don't want, you know, Cole Young at 22 years old, playing 160 games. So part of this will see how, you know, how the core injury works out for Donovan. Maybe he can't play much outfield at which point, you know, it's, probably mostly DH for Donovan, and that comes with the expense of probably Canzone.

Starting point is 00:08:22 So, yeah, it is a little tricky, but it's a very, very good situation to try and maneuver. It certainly beats the alternative of having no depth whatsoever and running your guys into the ground. Next question here from Nick with Kate Anderson shredding and double A. What are the odds we see him in the bullpen at the end of the year? I think pretty high, but not anytime soon. No. Post deadline at the earliest. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:08:49 Yeah. And who knows because they're still doing this piggyback thing or they're still trying to work through the six-man rotation thing, they might not have room to carry a Kate Anderson type in their bullpen. So we'll see. Also, you have to be wary of workload management on K2. So I wouldn't say it's a guarantee or it's a slam dunk that he'll be in there. But I think, yeah, August is the earliest I could see them.

Starting point is 00:09:16 in that transition, but probably sometime late August, early September. I think once rosters expand, it's a lot easier to carry him to. So, yeah, I could see him, I could see him, yeah, pitching out of the bullpen in the last 40-ish games of the year. Yeah, once he gets closer to his innings cap and all that, once you want to, you know, once they're already going to start naturally managing his workload and all that, maybe at that point, they throw him in the bullpen. again like you said you know it depends on how many spots are open in the bullpen obviously what do

Starting point is 00:09:52 they do at the deadline all that as well all right we will answer more of your questions in just a moment but first a reminder this episode of the lockdown eras podcast is brought to you by game time there's nothing like watching a mariner's game even better when you get to watch it live the excitement the fans the only problem getting tickets can feel like a grind i'm talking long cues surprise fees and of course price is jumping at checkout that's where there's game time the game time app gives fans the advantage with constant innovation it's how you unlock amazing tickets and experiences in just a few taps it's simple to use the game time guarantee means you get 100% authentic tickets delivered on time at the best price and here's the best part fees are included in the price you see so

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Starting point is 00:11:36 Don't forget to check out the Everydayer Club for ad-free episodes and access to a group chat with me and other listeners of this show. Tap the link in the description or go to Lockdown Mariners. to learn more. Let's get back into your questions here on Mailbag Monday. Mariner and Joyer wants to know. Last week, you talked about trading a starter and a selling move. Given Kate Anderson's success from Ryan Sloan's meteoric rise,

Starting point is 00:12:00 you see a scenario where a starter is traded this year and a buying move. Now, first of all, can you envision a player that's going to be available that will make it worth trading Logan Gilbert or George Kirby or, I mean, they're not going to trade Wu or Miller. Terrick Scoobel. Yeah, but again, let's live in reality here, as much as that would be probably the best thing they could do. They're not going to.

Starting point is 00:12:25 So I just, how? And by the like we just talked about with the Kate Anderson thing, it's like, okay, well, he's going to be on some kind of pitch count, some kind of innings limit. So you're going to trade them and you're going to trade, I don't know, like Logan in July with the idea that Anderson's going to pitch the rest of the year when he's probably going to be at 100 innings and maybe only have,

Starting point is 00:12:44 40 or 50 more to go. I just, I don't see. I mean, does it even have to do with, with, uh, Cade or Sloan? Because they have six guys right now when they just go to a five man rotation at that point. Right. And maybe it's with five of the guys that are currently in the rotation. Sure. But I don't see how you, I don't, I just don't see a move where you get better by trading one of these starters, unless maybe it's Louise. But like you just said, well, if you trade Luis, okay, you have five guys still ahead of Cade.

Starting point is 00:13:13 Yeah. So I don't think Cade and Ryan, Sloan, he had a great start in his last outing, but let's not pretend he looks like he's major league ready. He doesn't. He's been fine for a 20-year-old in double A. Like, yeah, he's been rock solid, but he's not major league ready yet. And he's going to be on an even tighter inning limit than, than Kate, I'm sure. So I just don't see any path to where you can actually trade one of these guys and get better. I just, I don't know who's going to be out there. That would accommodate that where it would make sense. And there is

Starting point is 00:13:40 is the clubhouse element that you do have to factor in when you decide to make when you trade players off your major league roster in season there is a ripple effect in your clubhouse and just based on you know i don't think any of these guys are i don't think anybody's going to view losing one of these players as a positive inside the mariners clubhouse so i don't think there's an addition by subtraction thing going on here so i just no i just don't see a deal I don't see a reasonable deal where it's not like Juan Soto is available. You know, oh, well, I mean, I don't want to lose George, but I mean, this guy. I just don't see that player being out there this summer.

Starting point is 00:14:20 Yeah, to me it would be you're trading a year and a half of Logan for a half a year of Tarek's scubal. Or there's someone making a decent chunk of change that you want to trade for and you use Luis Castillo as part of a way to kind of offset the salary that you're taking in. or three, you find a way to capitalize on Emerson Hancock's value that he's built this season. And you're able to get like an everyday player for him. Maybe, but you know, like we'll talk about, I'm sure a lot. Fan fiction Fridays are coming back maybe this week. You know, as we get closer to the trade deadline. Like, okay, you acquire a player at the expense of who?

Starting point is 00:15:04 You want to bench Luke Grayley right now against Rides? You know, and so we'll go through that conversation. Obviously, things can change maybe a player we're not even thinking of all of a sudden becomes available. And we're like, oh, yeah. Well, so, but as things stand right now on June 1st, I just really don't see a way, a very realistic way, I should say, where you can trade one of these starters and feel like you got better at the end of the day. And you're certainly not doing it because of Cade and Ryan Sloan. Next question here from Jeff, who wants to know when Cal returns, are they going to demote Johnny Parade again or ILM?

Starting point is 00:15:38 Mitch Garver because of his knee acting up. Does it have to be either? Colby, you and I have talked about this. Maybe you keep three catchers, and Mitch Garver is the primary right-hand of bat, DH bat against left-handed pitching because right now he's rocking a 137 WRC plus against lefties,

Starting point is 00:15:58 which is like night and day compared to Rob Ruff Snyder. So, yeah, I do feel like parades being always, over hyped. Like he's been solid since the Mariners called him up. But I haven't seen anything that makes me think like, oh, he has to be on the major league roster. He has so, like, I don't really understand that.

Starting point is 00:16:21 He has no feel for when to challenge pitches. I'll tell you that much. Not much of a pitch framer either based on my eye test. So I just think he is speed. Yeah. He is not. He's a catcher and he runs like one. So you could do that though.

Starting point is 00:16:39 Like if you like Paradea and you like his defense enough to be the backup, fine. You can do that and have Mitch just kind of go back to what he was, you know, the last two years with the Mariners. Just hit lefties and he essentially replaces Ref Snyder would be the idea there. I think this, I think that possibility certainly is more likely when you know Brennan Donovan can play all the spots that you think he can play. when you know he's healthy enough to play second and the outfield, then yeah, you could do that because you have this super utility guy on your, well, on your bench or in your lineup, who you can move around to get other bench guys in the game.

Starting point is 00:17:16 So, yeah, you certainly have a lot more flexibility when you have Donovan back. Like if Cal was coming back tomorrow and you had to make a decision, send Parade a down. He still has an option. He's probably the frontline guy to be the backup catcher next year because he'll be out of options. He's still under club control. So, but yeah, you send him down.

Starting point is 00:17:36 And Garber's been rock solid. And again, Cal's coming back. He's going to catch, even with the injury, he's probably going to catch five times a week, maybe even six times a week. So you're not too worried about Garber's knees and the defense and all that when he's catching once or twice a week. So, yeah, Garber is the guy. The pitching staff likes him, the clubhouse likes him. Cowell likes working with him. So no, if Garber is healthy, he's the backup catcher, if they're only going to carry two catcher.

Starting point is 00:18:03 Yeah, I mean, Garber, you know, only hitting a buck 94 right now, but his WRC plus 99. He's essentially a league average bat right now. And again, it gets lefties. He's been awesome 137 WRC plus against lefties. So yeah, yeah, I wouldn't move on from Garber with everything that he's doing and with how much it seems he means to a lot of the guys in the clubhouse as well. Yeah. So, you know, he's hitting the ball hard right now and he's walking. I like that.

Starting point is 00:18:31 All right. Next question here from Sean who wants to know voting for the All Star game begins Wednesday. What Mariners will get your vote? I think Randy and Julio are she wins. I think the interesting question here, though, Colby is, is there another outfielder? That should be joining them. Well, well, well, sounds like somebody saw my tweet yesterday. I did. I did. And I bet we saw it you went, huh. yeah i mean yeah he's hitting what 280 he's got the third most homers against right-handed pitching and i believe he trails only murakami and schwabur who are both going to be uh at obviously at the all-star game

Starting point is 00:19:20 well murakami's hurt so that's right four to six right so maybe we'll see um he might make it back in time or he might make the team and not play blah blah blah And look, I understand the idea that a platoon player making the All-Star game. We're talking about Luke really, of course, by the way. Yeah, those of you who did that. That was obvious.

Starting point is 00:19:43 Certainly not talking about Dom Canzone or Victor Robles. God bless them. But yeah, like, look, Luke will have to have a really good June. But obviously voting starts. And we've seen this kind of trend where like the surprise team of the previous year, like their fans get out the vote and they stuff the ballot box. We saw it with the Tigers last year. The Blue Jays always represent very well, which is part of the reason why I actually think Luke Riley doesn't have a chance to do that

Starting point is 00:20:12 because I just think, you know, fan voting is stupid. But they only pick the starters. So we'll see he might make it as a, you know, as a bench player. He might make it in like as a replacement. He'll have to continue to hit pretty well, obviously. But Luke Grayley just does he deserve to be an all-star? like is he you know should he be in that conversation the answer is yes just look at the numbers the answer is yes he absolutely deserves to be in that conversation uh will he be i doubt it but i'm

Starting point is 00:20:42 going to vote for him uh you know if i believed in voting for all star games but i'll throw a courtesy ballot his way uh yeah all three mariner outfielders uh sure why not um but he definitely deserves to be in the conversation it's not one of those like let's vote eric sogar the face of MLB or whatever. Like, it'll be funny. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Like, no, it's a legitimate conversation or it should be and that, you know, look, he's not going to get in over judge and, and they don't break it down by right field.

Starting point is 00:21:11 So they just pick outfielders, right? So is he going to, you know, get in over Yordon or judge or no? So it's pretty much no shot he gets in. But I think it'd be really cool. If the Mariner fans, we sent Segura all those years ago, I think it would be really cool if there was a push to, you know, I don't. know what the catchphrase would be but like yeah vote for all the mirrors but especially really yeah especially Luke because the only way Luke's going to make this team is if the entire community

Starting point is 00:21:40 gets behind him and pushes his name on the ballot uh because he's going to have to win a fan vote to get in I think and and it just doesn't have to be judge to do that like no no chance so he absolutely deserves the vote he deserves to be there certainly there will there will be players who make that team who are less deserving than Luke Rayley based on what he's done to the first two months. But yeah, he's definitely a guy who should be on all mariner fans' ballots. Even the ones who take it seriously and don't just vote for nine Mariners, you know who you are. You should still vote for Luke Rayleigh. Yeah. Josh Naylor, All-Star, sure. Johnny Perrida, All-Star. Yeah, okay. And then also maybe Cole Young,

Starting point is 00:22:21 just because of how bad second base is in the American way. The second base is bad. That's really the only reason. But yeah. Yeah. All right. Screw it. I guess we're starting up. Rally for Raleigh. Last question of the day comes from Ryan.

Starting point is 00:22:36 How many games slash events have you two attended in person? And your favorites, any good stories? You know, I go to about 10 to 15 Mariner games a year. I was at game one of the playoffs this last year. I went to game three in 2022. I went to when I was like 10. I went to what it was, game four or something of the ALCS against the Yankees, which ever one of their games was at the Safeco then.

Starting point is 00:23:04 I was at the Caleraleigh Droughtender. Never been to a no-hitter or a perfect game. Never been to a brawl, sadly. Those are better than playoff appearances, honestly. Yeah, you know, I've been to a handful of opening days. but yeah, nothing like momentous except for the playoff games that I've been to and obviously the Cal Droughtender.

Starting point is 00:23:30 I went to one period of a cracking game after I went to the 18-inning Mariner game. They lost 5 to 2 to the Golden Knights. Surprise, surprise. Yeah. So, yeah, mostly Mariner games. Yeah. I went to one Husky football game.

Starting point is 00:23:48 They were playing like Portland State or maybe it was even Colorado State like a decent. okay team and we left by the third period because it was like 50 to nothing just yeah yeah um yeah yeah I've been to a lot of Mariners games since moving to Toronto far more mariner's games than I ever saw as a kid when I actually lived in Washington typically my dad or my mom or both would take me to you know one to two mariner's games every year when we lived in Washington so I probably went to Seattle I don't know 15 to 20-ish times.

Starting point is 00:24:27 I don't have a specific number for you. But, yeah, around there as a kid, went to a few Sonics games. One of the coolest experiences that I had going to a Sonic's game was in their final year in Kevin Durant's rookie year. My dad got tickets through his work for, like, a booth.

Starting point is 00:24:47 We were sitting in one of the booths, and some guy came in during, like, the second quarter. And it was like, hey, we have, like, court side tickets does anyone want to sit court side for the rest of the game and we're like hell yeah and so they were playing the Lakers so I got

Starting point is 00:25:04 to see like Kobe Kobe embounded a ball like right in front of me that was crazy I remember seeing Phil Jackson and he was massive and at halftime we were we went down like the tunnel or whatever so we could go to concessions and we met Nate Burleson

Starting point is 00:25:21 who was there that was cool so yeah that That was one of my better memories going to a Sonics game. But I went to a few in general. I think I went to a Sonic's game on like St. Patrick's Day. And they were wearing their green uniforms at home, which like nowadays, like wearing your road uniforms as normal at home.

Starting point is 00:25:38 But like back then, that was like kind of a thing. That was kind of cool. Never went to a Seahawks game. Would love to eventually do that, even though that football is just better on TV. I imagine that football is just way better on. TV than it is in person.

Starting point is 00:25:57 And yeah, like, gone to a trillion marries games, especially since living in Toronto. You guys know the games that I've gone to. I don't need to repeat it. But yeah, that's about it. Oh, and then I've gone to a couple of cracking games when they've come to play the Maple Leafs. I think I'm one in one in those games, going to those games. and then went to go see the Storm, play the new Toronto Tempo a couple of weeks ago and actually got recognized by a listener coming out of that game as well.

Starting point is 00:26:32 So shout out to that guy. Stormer next on my list. I haven't been to one of their games yet. I know it's not a particularly good year to go to one of their games. It's a rebuilding year. But I'm a big fan of flouge. So, yeah, I'd like to go see her play. And Fam is with the team now, right?

Starting point is 00:26:50 She's joined the team. She's made her debut. So, yeah, still reasons to go down there. But, yeah. All right, that is going to do it for our show. Thank you so much for joining us here on the Lockdown Marriss podcast. Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Once again, if you never miss an episode, it's time to make it official.

Starting point is 00:27:07 Join the Lockdown Every Day or Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only-only-a-to-M-E-Bel all built for our most loyal fans. For Colby Pat-Nod, I'm Tad-Nazolus. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter at L-O-U-U-U-U-N-Ras. You can follow me at Tading-A-S-Las. And C-P-A-T-1. We're also on BlueS. guy you can follow me at TDG Colby at MLB Colby in the show at Lockdown Mariners you can also find

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Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Could the Seattle Mariners Still TRADE One of Their Starting Pitchers Even as Buyers?!

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