SEATTLE — Josh Naylor made it clear how much he enjoyed his three-month stint with the Mariners this past season, while Seattle’s front office made it very publicly clear at the offseason’s outset that a reunion with the slugging first baseman was its No. 1 priority.
Turns out, getting a deal done was maybe as simple as that.
Naylor and the Mariners are finalizing a five-year free-agent contract, sources told MLB.com on Sunday night, though the financial figures weren’t immediately clear. The club has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical that Naylor is expected to complete on Monday.
Once official, it will be the richest free-agent contract for a position player in Seattle since Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto took over after the 2015 season. The previous high was a two-year, $24 million deal given to Mitch Garver in the 2023-24 offseason.
And just like that, Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander checked off the biggest box on their offseason checklist, reinserting a key cog to a roster that reached Game 7 of the American League Championship Series and intends to mostly run it back with its 2025 group.
Naylor will become the first player this offseason to sign a Major League free-agent contract. According to sources, the Mariners initiated discussions with Naylor’s representatives at Independent Sports & Entertainment during the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas last week, with the framework of a deal coming together on Friday and the finalization on Sunday.
The Mariners still have question marks at second base and third base, though their needs at those spots weren’t as glaring as at first base, as they had virtually no other internal options to fill the void once Naylor reached free agency after the World Series.
Naylor, who turns 29 on June 22, is coming off a season in which he slashed .295/.353/.462 (.815 OPS) with 20 homers, 29 doubles, 92 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. Fifty-four of his 147 games came with the Mariners after he was acquired from the D-backs ahead of the Trade Deadline.
That July 24 transaction will go down as one of the most defining of the Dipoto/Hollander era, as adding Naylor and bringing back Eugenio Suárez — in a separate trade with Arizona on July 31 — fortified a lineup that was the Mariners’ catalyst in winning the American League West.
But Naylor was just as effective with his glove and baserunning, praised mightily by his peers for having an incredible baseball IQ that made his teammates better.
Naylor made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2019, and he was dealt to Cleveland prior to the 2020 Trade Deadline. It was with Cleveland that he became a star, beginning with a huge performance in the 2020 AL Wild Card Series against the Yankees. The Guardians traded Naylor to the D-backs last offseason after he earned his first All-Star selection, with the Mariners said to have been interested in acquiring him as far back as then.
Once he eventually was dealt to the Mariners in that trade with Arizona, Naylor’s fit in Seattle was seamless from the start.
Naylor endeared himself to his teammates for being a hard-nosed player — and again, for his smarts, while becoming a Seattle fan favorite for his emotion and production. He even bonded with Tuckerthe Mariners’ clubhouse dogbecoming the mixed Labrador’s favorite player for being an easy target for treats.
“I love playing there. It’s been super awesome,” Naylor said of Seattle during the ALCS. “I’ve gotten so many compliments from friends who have watched me play, or ex-teammates I’ve played with, or even just opponents I’m playing against, like, how awesome it is in Seattle and how cool the fanbase is and how they just ride-or-die Seattle, and it’s super awesome to be a part of.”
For all these reasons, a reunion made so much sense — and before the Hot Stove season truly got into full swing, the Mariners got their guy.