The Seattle Mariners were, at best, a mediocre team in 2026. They finished the season in third place in the AL West standings with a record of 76-86. Still, it wasn’t all that bad for them. Several players stood out and had great years. Randy Arozarena was a key player for the team in several categories. He led the Mariners in batting average with .281, 26 home runs, and 79 RBIs. Arozarena will be a highly coveted free agent this off-season if he doesn’t accept the qualifying offer. 

Alas, statistically, the Mariners were either middle of the pack or in the bottom tier in numerous categories. This led to the dismissal of manager Dan Wilson, along with several other coaches. The team has a lot of work to do this offseason, and the Chicago Cubs can help take the load off them. After all, the Mariners have already hired a familiar face who could be a great trade partner in the future.

After Wilson's dismissal, the Mariners opted to hire Jason Kanzler to be the next manager. It was a shocking hire, to say the least. Kanzler has no managerial experience, though he's held numerous roles in the baseball world at a young age. The Cubs hired Kanzler in 2024 as the director of player development, and before that, he had coaching experience with the Houston Astros. While losing Kanzler is a big deal for the Cubs, it does at least give the franchise a perfect opportunity to strike a deal. 

Can Cubs Go After Mariners' Loaded Arm Talent?

Buster Olney reported that the Seattle Mariners are open to trading the plethora of arms that they have in exchange for a bat this week. With the Cubs hungry to add and improve their rotation and bullpen, this could make Seattle the perfect team to reach out to in the coming weeks and months.

Indeed, who knows what the Cubs have to offer better than Kanzler? He’s very familiar with the overall depth of the farm system and the roster, and he is bound to have some preferred talent inside the organization. Not only can he give this Mariners front office an idea of who to go after, but he can also give them some pointers on how to handle conversations with his former boss.

As for the Cubs, Jed Hoyer is bound to have a clear understanding of who Kanzler may want to add to his first major league clubhouse.

So, Who Should the Cubs Target?

Logan Gilbert should be a priority as a consistent strikeout threat. This past season, he struck out 200 hitters for the second time in his career. Not only does his K rate stand out, but his fastball velocity is there, and he has a ridiculous slider and nasty splitter. The options would provide the Cubs with a solid rotation piece moving forward. Although Gilbert would not be a top of the rotation starter, his best fit on a contending team would be the fourth or fifth option in the rotation. 

George Kirby is another option the Cubs should look into. In 2026, he went 9-11 with a 4.33 ERA, but he was an All-Star in 2023. He can provide the Cubs with a solid second option or even contend for being the ace of the pitching staff. His stuff is extremely strong. A high-velocity fastball at 96+ and several deceptive pitches will make him a tough player to handle start-to-start.

Finally, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller are viable targets. The Cubs would target Woo and Miller if they want years of control, which they seemingly do after making a push forReid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels, who is under team control through 2028. Woo has four more year of team control remaining till 2030. Miller remains under team control until 2029. 

Nevertheless, Seattle has more interesting starting arms to trade than possibly any other team in the league. With Kanzler now also in town as manager, the Cubs could have an even easier path toward getting a deal done. Whether it be a more MLB-ready commodity like Matt Shaw or a recent high draft pick like Kane Kepley, one has to imagine Kanzler can put in a good word with this Seattle brain trust.