The Seattle Mariners traded away one of three top 100 prospects earlier this week in a deal to acquire a 2025 All-Star.

The Mariners brought in Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals in return for switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (No. 91 MLB Pipeline top 100).

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Before the deal, Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said the team could have expected to see Cijntje, one of the team’s three top 100 pitching prospects, in the majors in 2026.

That obviously won’t happen this year, at least not for the Mariners, but that doesn’t mean a top 100 pitcher won’t make an appearance for the M’s.

Seattle had the third overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and used it to select the No. 1 player on its board, left-handed starter Kade Anderson.

The 2025 NCAA College World Series Most Outstanding Player has yet to throw a pitch in a professional game but received a non-roster invitation to spring training. Anderson was considered the most pro-ready pitcher in the ’25 draft, which has led to speculation that he could begin his pro career as high as the Double-A Arkansas Travelers and potentially make his major league debut in ’26.

If Anderson were able to do that, he would in the footsteps of previous other recent notable pitching prospects Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates, drafted ’23, debuted ’24) and Trey Yesavage (Toronto Blue Jays, drafted ’24, debuted ’25).

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“He’s a phenomenal kid, extremely coachable, extremely intelligent, works hard, good teammate,” Mariners director of player development Justin Toole said in an article written by Shane Lantz for Baseball America. “I mean, he checks all the boxes you want. … I’m excited to get down there and get our hands on him and get to work.”

Anderson has been in Arizona for a large chunk of the time since he’s been drafted and has already put on 12 pounds of muscle.

The former LSU pitcher is projected to make his major league debut in 2027, per MLB Pipeline, but his invitation to spring training is a good sign of how the organization views the southpaw.

Seattle’s starting pitching depth took a hit this offseason with the news that right-hander Logan Evans, who made 15 starts for the team last year, would miss the season after undergoing elbow surgery. There’s also a question whether Emerson Hancock will be utilized as a starter or reliever this season after being used in both roles in ’25.

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With those two factors and the departure of Cijntje, there’s a very good chance that a strong showing in spring training and the minor leagues from Anderson could lead to a major league debut in ’26 if the organization needs an arm.

“His performance and what he’s able to do on the field will kind of dictate to us, you know, when he’s ready,” Toole said in Lantz’s article. “But definitely would anticipate it sooner than later.”

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