Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto confirmed that the club listened to trade inquiries regarding starting pitchers Yahoo Sports and Emerson Hancock ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline. While rumors circulated during the days leading up to the 3 p.m. PT deadline, Dipoto noted that the organization maintains an open-door policy on listening to proposals.
Jerry Dipoto Addresses Trade Interest in George Kirby and Emerson Hancock
We are always of the mindset that we will listen on anything,
Dipoto said according to MLB.com. We don’t hang up on anybody who’s got a suggestion.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Mariners were firmly not in a selling mode. Dealing either starting pitcher would have left the rotation depleted to just four starters, forcing the team to seek external pitching help or accelerate the timeline for prospect Kade Anderson. Dipoto explained that a rumor regarding Kirby triggered a heavy wave of inquiries from around the league, though talks never advanced past initial discussions.
A rumor floated about George, and immediately, we got a waterfall of interest from around the league, but never actually engaged far beyond ‘Hello,’
Dipoto said. But we didn’t think that we were getting the appropriate value to feel good about moving someone who’s contributed as much as he has to feel good about that.
Kirby’s Performance Amid Deadline Speculation
Before the trade deadline concluded, Kirby took the mound for a Sunday matchup against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park, helping the Mariners secure a 7-6 victory. Rather than sitting out—a precaution taken by other organizations with players involved in trade discussions—Seattle started the 2023 All-Star.
Kirby delivered a seven-inning scoreless outing, allowing five hits while striking out three batters and walking one. Following the game, the right-hander acknowledged that he was aware of the swirling trade rumors and pitched with heightened focus.
With everything going on, just try to go out there and do my best,
Kirby said after the game. There was a little bit of motivation, I guess. I love this place. I want to stay here. I want to show them that I’m worthy of it.
Kirby added that while he does not use Twitter, news reaches him through his agent and other channels. Selected by the organization in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Elon college, Kirby has developed into a cornerstone of a rotation where every other regular starter was drafted and developed by the Mariners.
Weighing Roster Stability and Deadline Moves
The trade deadline activity for Seattle involved notable roster adjustments. The front office traded veteran starting pitcher Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for reliever Seranthony Domínguez, Triple-A outfielder Nolan Jones, and catching/outfield prospect Boston Smith. Additionally, the Mariners acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles on deadline day.
Dipoto emphasized that the front office was unwilling to trade top prospects unless the incoming return was seismic, noting that the market lacked blockbuster-type bats comparable to pitcher Tarik Skubal. With the Mariners holding a 55-58 record and sitting three games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West, leadership opted to reinforce the existing roster rather than dismantle it.
I know this is going to sound insane, but this is a tough roster to improve,
Dipoto said regarding the difficulty of finding meaningful upgrades. We’ve not played well, we’ve underperformed our talent level, but finding upgrades from a player perspective, meaningful additions, leads you back to the best player probably being one we have.