Giants NL West Rival Diamondbacks to Trade Josh Naylor to Mariners

The San Francisco Giants were unlikely to have a shot at acquiring Arizona first baseman Josh Naylor at the trade deadline due to being an NL West rival.

But Naylor is on the move, as the Diamondbacks reportedly traded him to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on X (formerly Twitter).

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The Trade Details

In return, the Diamondbacks are set to get two minor-league pitching prospects — Ashton Izzi and Brandyn Garcia.

Garcia, a left-hander was the Mariners’ 11th-round pick in 2023 and the team’s No. 11 prospect according to The Athletic’s Keith Law. Izzi is a right-hander, a former fourth-round pick and was the organization’s No. 19 prospect.

The deal was not formally announced by either team and will likely require a physical.

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Why the Mariners Made the Deal

The Mariners have been looking for first base power all season and Naylor would seem to fit the bill. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter was the Miami Marlins’ first-round pick in 2015 out of Canada.

He’s put together a solid season, with a slash of 292/.360/.447 with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. He also has 19 doubles and a triple. He’s hit at least 17 home runs in each of his previous three seasons, including a high of 31 last year with the Cleveland Guardians.

He was acquired by Arizona in a trade last offseason.

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How This Impacts the Giants

If San Francisco is looking for a first base bat at the deadline, the price may have gone up. Rafael Devers has started just one game at the position and is unlikely to take a consistent role this season.

If the Giants want an everyday first baseman with more power, they will have to dig further into the market for players like Washington’s Nathaniel Lowe, who could be available and has a year of team control.

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Indirectly, the move helps the Giants because it appears the Diamondbacks will be sellers at the deadline, something they’ve been trying to avoid. That will make the team less formidable, which is good for San Francisco.

Depending upon how much the D-backs sell, the Giants could be facing a more vulnerable team six times in the season’s final month. San Francisco hosts Arizona Sept. 8-10 and then travels to the D-backs on Sept. 15-17. Wins there could be critical if the Giants hope to make the playoffs.

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