MLB Trade Rumors: Mariners Young Starter "Most Likely" To Be Traded

The Seattle Mariners fell short of the playoffs this season with a spectacular pratfall in the second half. Most of it was predicated on the team's woeful offense, since they continued to have one of the top starting rotations in all of baseball.

So naturally, all signs (and all prognosticators) are pointing to Seattle trading from their rotation riches in order to shore up the offence this winter.

And according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, second-year phenom Bryce Miller is the "most likely" to be dealt, if they do indeed go that route.

The 26-year-old hurler had a spectacular season in 2024, going 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP along with a 171:45 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 180 innings across 31 starts. He ranked in the 97th percentile, according to Baseball Savant, in Pitching Run Value, Fastball Run Value and Offspeed Run Value.

With five years of team control remaining, would the Mariners be that desperate to find offence to trade such an elite young pitcher?

“It would be ridiculous for them to trade any of their starters,” one NL scout told Jude. “But if they have to trade someone, Miller would make the most sense.”

The Mariners, while not exactly anxious to move Miller, have said that they are 'open to anything with trade scenarios.'

The St. Louis Cardinals are one team that has already been linked to going after Miller. It just so happens that third base has been a black hole for the Mariners, and the Cards happen to have a multi-time All-Star in Nolan Arenado to offer.

From a 10-game lead atop the AL's West Division on June 18 with an 91.7% chance of making the playoffs, the Mariners dropped like a rock from there, finishing at 85-77 and missing out on the postseason by a single game.