MLB Rumors: Braves preferred deal, Red Sox-Mariners trade chatter, Jays next move

MLB Rumors: Mariners reject Red Sox' advances on pitching trade market

The Boston Red Sox offseason has been mostly quiet aside from swapping Alex Verdugo for Tyler O'Neill in the outfield. A significant reason for the holdup is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who could demand north of $300 million. The Red Sox continue to pursue the 25-year-old Japanese ace, in turn putting any other negotiations on the back burner.

Still, Boston has made trade overtures around the league, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. One team Craig Breslow and the front office approached is the Seattle Mariners, who reportedly "rebuffed" talks centered on their robust collection of young starting pitchers.

Seattle has one of the deepest starting rotations in the MLB, with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo all under team control through at least 2027. Gilbert is the oldest of the bunch at 26 years old. It goes without saying that Boston would love to add contract-controlled starters at the beginning of their primes. It's equally unsurprising that the Mariners told them no. We don't know the seriousness of Boston's offer(s), but in the current market, the price is surely high.

Boston has confidence in Brayan Bello, and Chris Sale still delivered solid results in 2023 despite clear signs of regression. That said, another top pitcher has been a stated priority for the Red Sox front office. Between the new-look Yankees, the hungry Blue Jays, and the 101-win Orioles, Boston has a lot of ground to make up in their division.

The Mariners probably can't pay all those pitchers, but that's a tomorrow problem. The Mariners can kick that can several years down the road. Maybe the Red Sox up their offer and provide a pathway to improved offense (the Mariners' biggest need), but one should assume Seattle will cling tight to its top assets.