Seattle Mariners Pitcher George Kirby All of a Sudden in Line For Big Pay Raise in 2025
After qualifying for "Super 2" status this week, Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby is in line for a big payday in 2024.
Instead of spending 2025 on his rookie contract, Kirby will get to hit arbitration a year early. The Mariners still retain the full amount of team control over Kirby, but it means he'll be more expensive this year and moving forward. He's under contract through 2028.
Here's how Super 2 works, per MLB.com:
Players typically must accrue three years of Major League service time -- with one year of service time equaling 172 days on the 26-man roster or the Major League injured list -- to become eligible for salary arbitration. Super Two is a designation that allows a select group of players to become eligible for arbitration before reaching three years of service time.
To qualify for the Super Two designation, players must rank in the top 22 percent, in terms of service time, among those who have amassed between two and three years in the Majors. The specific cutoff date varies on a year-to-year basis.
#Mariners starter George Kirby was among the 29 major leaguers who qualified for arbitration before three full seasons of MLB service time.https://t.co/iGkMdLajPd
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) November 9, 2024
For a Mariners organization constantly obsessed with payroll obligations, this is tough news heading into the offseason. By owing Kirby more money, it will likely impact what the M's can do with the rest of the roster. For Kirby, of course, this is great news and much deserved.
He's been one of the best pitchers in the American League since arriving in 2022. He helped the M's make the playoffs in 2022 and made the All-Star Game in 2023. He's led baseball in strikeout-to-walk ratio each of the last two seasons.
Kirby is 35-26 lifetime with a 3.43 ERA. He pairs with Logan Gilbert, Luis Castilo, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo to make up perhaps the best rotation in all of baseball.
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