Logan Gilbert will get his share of trade speculation this winter. We all know the argument at this point. Approaching free agency forces a decision, and his established track record gives interested teams a pretty clear idea of what they'd be getting.
Emerson Hancock presents a more interesting opportunity for the Mariners. He's coming off the season Seattle needed to see, with enough affordable years remaining to make another front office take a closer look. The Mariners should find out what that combination can buy before another season changes the conversation.
Hancock finished 2026 with a 3.57 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 126 strikeouts across 138 2/3 innings. He put up a substantial contribution after being a guy who previously occupied the less glamorous end of Seattle's rotation. Now he could help solve a problem somewhere else on the roster. As valuable as Hancock was to the rotation in 2026, the Mariners should be willing to make this trade.
Hancock is under club control through 2030, giving an acquiring team four seasons before free agency. That timeline was central to his trade appeal at the 2026 trade deadline.
A club acquiring Hancock would have time to benefit from his development, work through any setbacks and build a rotation with him in it. Affordable starting pitching also leaves money available for the rest of the roster. That will make him attractive to teams operating within tighter budgets and contenders trying to avoid another expensive trip into free agency.
We're not saying Seattle will receive a king's ransom, though they'll probably try to get one. Rival executives can see the limited track record. But the Mariners have a much stronger sales pitch than they did a year ago, and that's every reason why they should use it. Hancock should give another organization a reason to believe. And Seattle's job is to put a price on that.
We're not saying a collapse is on the horizon. Hancock earned his results. But he also hasn't established that this is the level Seattle can expect year after year. Repeating it is the next order of business. That uncertainty is exactly what makes this decision different from Gilbert's.
Gilbert's value rests on a broader body of work. With Hancock, a buyer would be paying for what he just accomplished and what it believes he can become over four more seasons.
If another club sees a dependable rotation fixture and is willing to surrender an everyday hitter, Seattle has a chance to turn a recent development success into a longer-term lineup improvement. Waiting for absolute certainty carries its own cost. Another strong year could raise Hancock's price. A step backward could make this look like a wasted opportunity.
The Rays, Guardians and Padres belong on the list of teams we'd want Seattle to call. These are proposed fits, rather than a claim of reported interest. The appeal would be a pitching operation confident in its ability to refine Hancock. The teams listed above could see more value than his current results alone suggest. Four years gives that organization time to make its evaluation pay off.
That confidence should help Seattle in negotiations. If a club believes it can unlock another level, the Mariners should ask for a return that reflects some of that upside.
The Orioles and Cubs also belong in the conversation if they enter the winter seeking rotation help. Hancock's control would allow either team to address more than one season with a single acquisition.
The point is to create a market. Seattle needs competing evaluations and competing offers before deciding whether Hancock is worth more in its rotation or somebody else's.
The return still has to justify losing him. Seattle would definitely feel his absence if injuries forced less reliable pitchers into regular work.
They shouldn't demand a superstar simply because Hancock had a breakout. Though, there's nothing wrong with aiming high. But settling for a bench upgrade simply wouldn't work. Matt Shaw or Casey Schmitt have been names we've heard before. They fit into the type of return Hancock should command.
Regardless, this is the moment to see whether his value can bring back something the Mariners need more. Hancock has made himself worth keeping. That's precisely why somebody else might finally offer enough to trade him.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mariners/onsi as Mariners' Emerson Hancock May Never Have More Trade Value - And They Should Cash In .
