Sources indicated to ESPN on Sunday that first baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners have come to an agreement on a five-year contract. This agreement will reunite one of the top free agent hitters available with the team that identified his re-signing as their main objective for the offseason.
Naylor, age 28, was obtained by the Mariners at the trade deadline and quickly made a big impact on offense, defense, and baserunning. He solidified a position that had been a weak point for Seattle.
The five-year agreement, which is subject to a successful physical examination, represents baseball’s first significant offseason acquisition. It adds Naylor to a formidable Seattle squad that advanced to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. As they aim to win their first World Series in team history, he will play alongside AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, star center fielder Julio Rodriguez, and a talented Mariners rotation.
Naylor quickly integrated into Seattle due to his intense drive and contagious enthusiasm. Naylor had a .299/.341/.490 batting line with nine home runs, 33 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 19 tries in 54 games with the Mariners. He was a reliable defender at first base, helping the Mariners win their first division title since 2001, and he batted .340 with three home runs in 12 postseason games.
Naylor, a left-handed hitter, had a .295/.353/.462 batting line with 20 home runs, 92 RBIs, and a career-best 3.1 WAR when playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks for 93 games this season. Naylor is a competitive hitter with outstanding contact skills, ranking in the top 20 among qualified batters for the lowest strikeout percentage.
The most unexpected aspect of Naylor’s season was that he was successful on 30 of 32 stolen base attempts, despite being one of the slowest runners in the major leagues (ranking in the third percentile for sprint speed). Naylor frequently took a walking lead off first base and was flawless in stolen base attempts while playing for Seattle, even as clubs grew more conscious of his strategies.
The Diamondbacks acquired Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians the previous offseason. In 2024, Naylor blasted 31 home runs and was selected to the All-Star team while playing for Cleveland. Over his seven-year career, Naylor has a batting line of.269/.329/.447, 104 home runs, 435 RBIs, and 55 stolen bases while making four postseason appearances.
Naylor, who was originally selected by the Miami Marlins in the first round (No. 12 overall) of the 2015 draught out of Mississauga, Canada, is the eldest of three baseball-playing brothers. Bo Naylor, a catcher with the Guardians, was selected No. 29 overall in 2018, while Myles, the younger brother, was the No. 39 overall pick in 2023 and is a third baseman in the Athletics’ system.
David Schoenfield of ESPN contributed to this article.
