Mariners Lose Scout Behind George Kirby and Jonny Farmelo to Orioles

George Kirby is still a Mariner. Ty Holub, the scout credited with signing him, may be on his way out. He appears to be headed to the Baltimore Orioles. Draft analyst Joe Doyle reports that the Orioles are hiring Holub as a senior analyst in their scouting department. Seattle has already assured its first full losing season since 2019. Losing a proven evaluator before the season is even over is a bad start to fixing what went wrong.

The Mariners’ own records name Holub as Kirby’s signing scout. Doyle also credits him with finding Jonny Farmelo, Brody Hopkins, Ben Williamson and Luke Stevenson. Draft picks are decisions made by a group, and the players do the hard work of becoming professionals. Still, it’s one heck of a list to have your name attached to. It reaches from Seattle’s rotation to its farm system and even into a major trade.

Exciting personal news. I will be returning to the Baltimore Orioles as a Sr Analyst, Domestic Scouting. Beyond fired up for the opportunity to help out the hometown team.

I will greatly cherish my time working for the Seattle Mariners. I can’t accurately express the… pic.twitter.com/cd8CJnFPMI
— Ty Holub (@Ty_Holub) September 22, 2026

Ty Holub’s Mariners Scouting Record Goes Beyond George Kirby

Hopkins' connection to the big-league roster can be overlooked when you’re just looking at the names. The Mariners drafted him in the sixth round out of Winthrop, then sent him to Tampa Bay in a trade that landed Randy Arozarena. Finding a player after the early rounds can give the front office another way to fill a hole. Whether that’s on the major league roster, or using them in a package to land a big name, the scouts who help give them something valuable to offer deserve some attention, too.

There’s a geographic thread here as well. Kirby played at Elon. Farmelo came out of high school in Virginia, Williamson played at William & Mary, Hopkins went to Winthrop and Stevenson played at North Carolina. A Mariners media guide listed Holub on the Northeast scouting staff. In other words, he was the bridge to that region. Seattle now has to decide who takes on his coverage and brings that region’s players into the conversation. Years of firsthand evaluations take time to replace.

Mariners Staff Departures Have Reached the Scouting Department

Holub’s reported departure lands after a winter in which other clubs hired experienced people away from Seattle. Cleveland made former Mariners bullpen coach Tony Arnerich its bench coach and hired former vice president and assistant GM Andy McKay as field coordinator. Pittsburgh hired Kristopher Negrón, who served different coaching roles with Seattle over the years, but spent 2025 as the third-base coach. He served as the Pirates bench coach in 2026. The Mariners have already replaced experience in the dugout and player development. Now amateur scouting joins that list.

Baltimore’s reported job for Holub also raises a fair question about opportunity in Seattle. Scott Hunter should have a clear plan for who inherits Holub’s assignments and how successful regional scouts can earn a bigger voice in the organization. Seattle calls its draft process a group effort. We want that group stocked with people whose judgment other clubs are eager to hire.

The next draft is months away. The work of finding its players is happening now. Somewhere on that East Coast trail is a player who could help the Mariners win or help them make the trade that does. Seattle needs someone ready to make his case.

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