SEATTLE — In their pursuit of upgrades elsewhere for what has been an underachieving roster, the Mariners front office has told teams that they are open to dealing from their surplus of starting pitchers, with veteran Luis Castillo and breakout right-hander Emerson Hancock the two most often discussed with other teams in the past week.

Over the past 24 hours or so, with the Mariners free-falling in the AL West standings, the club’s stance on moving other pitchers in the rotation has shifted in trade conversations.

Multiple teams have checked in about the potential availability of George Kirby. The Mariners have suggested Kirby could be available in the right deal, industry sources with knowledge of the club’s discussions said.

With a crowded six-man starting rotation and top prospect Kade Anderson seemingly ready to make his MLB debut, trading a starting pitcher has seemed obvious. But the interest in Castillo has been minimal due to his contract, which includes a salary of just over $24 million for next season. The Mariners know that realistically they would have eat some of that salary to move Castillo. But that willingness still hasn’t increased interest.

Hancock, who is under club control through 2030, will make the MLB minimum next season before becoming arbitration eligible in 2028.

Talks around All-Star left fielder Randy Arozarena, a free agent at the end of the season, are expected to intensify leading up to Monday’s 3 p.m. PT deadline, as well.

“We’ll consider anything,” one Mariners source said.

As of Saturday morning, a deal was not considered imminent, and just because the Mariners are listening doesn’t mean a deal for Kirby (or anyone else) is necessarily expected.

Other club executives, though, “get the sense that (Kirby) is available,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Saturday.

“Just a lot of talking,” one source said.

The fact, though, that the Mariners are now open to listening on an established starter such as Kirby — a one-time All-Star whom the Mariners have long viewed as one of their most talented pitchers — suggests a potential change of direction over the next 48 hours.

The Mariners, on the field, have lost eight of their last 10 games to fall into third place in the AL West. They have dropped five of their last six series and have shown minimal signs of turning it around.

Over the past week, the front office had been adamant that it wants to push for a postseason berth over the final two months, but it’s fair to wonder if that’s the prudent course of action for a team that has struggled to gain any real traction the past two months.

The mood around the club is drastically different than it was approaching the deadline a year ago, when the Mariners were in a full-steam-ahead charge to add to the roster.

This weekend, it’s possible that the club could attempt to straddle the line between buyer and seller ahead of Monday’s deadline.

In that scenario, they could try to trade off one or two valuable pieces from the major league roster and yet not entirely abandon hope of a late surge this season — while also building next year’s team.

Kirby (8-9, 3.98 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Mariners in Sunday’s series finale against the Twins. On Saturday, Kirby went about his normal pregame routine of playing catch and then watching the bullpens of the other members of the starting rotation.

A 2019 first-round pick, Kirby has long been viewed as one of — if not the — most talented pitchers in the Mariners’ rotation. His command of the strike zone is unmatched in modern baseball, and at 28 he still has ace-like upside.

Kirby, a New York native, has a $6.55 million salary this season, his second year in arbitration. He has two more years of club control, and among Seattle’s young core of starting pitchers he’s considered the least likely to sign a long-term extension with the Mariners.

Arozarena, the Mariners’ prized trade acquisition at the 2024 deadline from Tampa Bay, is having the best year of his career in a platform season, leading the team with a 3.5 bWAR and serving as the Mariners’ only All-Star representative this summer.

The Mariners aren’t necessarily motivated to trade Arozarena, who has been their most productive hitter this season. But there could be an opportunity for them to take advantage of his success and the dearth of impact bats, particularly right-handed hitters, available in the market.

Arozarena, represented by Scott Boras, is widely expected to test free agency this winter. The Mariners have not had any extension talks with Arozarena’s camp.

If Arozarena were to finish out the season with the Mariners and become a free agent, the front office would make him a qualifying offer — a one-year contract at a salary worth the mean salary of MLB’s 125 highest-paid players. Last season, the qualifying offer salary was $22.025 million.

If Arozarena were to decline the offer as expected, Seattle would receive compensation in the form of a draft pick. Per the CBA, it would be “a compensation pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A if the lost player signs for at least $50 million. If the player signs for less than $50 million, the compensation pick comes after Competitive Balance Round B.”

It’s a valuable pick. To consider moving him, the Mariners would have to receive a trade package that exceeds that compensation-pick value.

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