Josh Naylor and the Mariners are close to finalizing a five-year contract for the first baseman to return to Seattle, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The club has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical.
Naylor is coming off a tremendous postseason performance that raised his profile across the wider baseball world. The slugging first baseman hit .417 with three home runs for the Mariners in the American League Championship Series against the Blue Jays this past fall after producing a career-best 3.1 bWAR during the regular season.
Although he began the 2025 campaign with the D-backs, Naylor ended up in Seattle, helping the M’s win their first division title in 24 years and get within one game of the World Series. Prior to being dealt to the Mariners ahead of the July 31 Trade Deadline, Naylor hit .292/.360/.447 with 11 home runs and 11 steals for Arizona.
He was even better after the trade, posting an .831 OPS with nine homers and a stunning 19 steals in 19 attempts for the Mariners. Despite being a slightly above-average runner, Naylor picked his spots well and proved to be adept on the basepaths.
Naylor made his Major League 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 — he went 5-for-7 with three doubles and a homer. The Guardians traded Naylor to Arizona after the 2024 campaign, in which he earned his first All-Star selection.
When he’s going well at the plate, Naylor hits for a high average and has 30-homer power. He doesn’t strike out often — his 13.7% strikeout rate last season ranked in the 91st percentile among qualified hitters — and he often gets the most out of his swing, with a squared-up rate of 31.2% (89th percentile).
Defensively, Naylor isn’t a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman, but he has decent range (+2 Outs Above Average last season, per Statcast) and handled the position with aplomb in the postseason.
