The Seattle Mariners have long been looked at as a perfect trade partner with the Chicago Cubs, and this time around, there’s a new starting pitcher who is reportedly available in a deal. Over at The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon specifically mentioned the Cubs in regard to the Mariners telling teams that they are open to trading 27-year-old starting pitcher Emerson Hancock.
No, there’s close to a zero percent chance that any team, including the Cubs, will convince the Mariners to trade Logan Gilbert, George Kirby or Bryan Woo, but for an organization that desperately needs pitching help in the rotation this year, and has more question marks for years to come, Hancock could be a solid trade target.
It’s taken Hancock a bit to generate positive results in the majors. He made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2023, a cup of coffee that yielded three starts, followed by 28 starts between 2024-25. The right-hander entered this season with a 4.81 ERA, 5.23 FIP, 4.88 xFIP and 15.6 K% in 162.2 innings. However, he’s had a breakout season so far in 2026.
The 3.16 ERA in 19 starts so far this season also comes with an increased strikeout rate of 23.4%, while the walk rate has remained good at 6.3%.
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It is kind of strange that the Mariners would be open to trading away Hancock in the midst of his breakout because nothing in MLB is more valuable than good, cheap pitching. Hancock is under team control through 2030, and he doesn’t even get to arbitration until 2028.
So, do the Mariners know something about him that may lead to a falloff in performance, or are they simply selling Hancock at his highest value? It’s not like Hancock is young; at 27, the pitcher isn’t considered a young phenom who has just emerged.
Beyond 2026, the Cubs’ rotation will be in dire need of help. Jameson Taillon, Shōta Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd will be free agents, while Cade Horton will miss half the season recovering from Tommy John surgery. So, it does make sense that the Cubs would seemingly be interested in trading for a controllable starting pitcher in Hancock, as the article in The Athletic said. But who would they trade to get it done?
Well, the Mariners are looking for a right-handed bat, and there were three names listed by the MLB insiders: Seiya Suzuki, Matt Shaw, and Kevin Alcántara.
I simply do not see any scenario in which the Cubs trade Suzuki. He’s one of their best hitters, and they’d make their team worse by shipping him out of town. Sure, if they really loved Hancock and the Cubs were completely out of the playoff picture this year, then he would be available. Yet, that’s not the case. The Cubs are still trying to compete this season.
As for Alcántara, he would have to be one piece in a return for Hancock because he’s not the type of prospect/young player to headline a trade anymore. So, if this trade does happen, then Shaw could ultimately be moved by the Cubs, depending on their interest level in Hancock compared to other available starting pitchers.
