Oct 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) walks on the field before game five of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Insider's Take On Josh Naylor Will Excite Mariners Fans

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 11:33 AM ET

It's pretty obvious at this point that the Seattle Mariners made a great move this past summer as they brought first baseman Josh Naylor to town.

He was everything the Mariners could've asked for and more down the stretch. Naylor took his game up a notch in 54 regular season games with the Mariners, slashing .299/.341/.490 with nine homers, 33 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases. Before getting traded, he hit 11 homers, drove in 59 runs, stole 11 bases, and hit .292 with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 93 games.

Naylor was a perfect fit and was good in the playoffs. Now, he's a free agent and unsurprisingly a lot of the buzz out there around Seattle has been about how it would make sense to bring him back. It's not just people around Seattle who think this, though. ESPN's David Schoenfield listed the Mariners as the "best fit" for Naylor, but also had the Texas Rangers as another option.

The Mariners need to bring back Josh Naylor

"Best fit: Mariners," Schoenfield said. "Naylor was the perfect fit for the Mariners, who had not only struggled at first base, but also needed a more contact-oriented hitter like Naylor for the middle of the lineup when they traded for him at this year's deadline. He unveiled one of the most surprising secret weapons, going 30-for-32 as a base stealer despite being one of the slowest runners in baseball. Although many hitters are reluctant to sign with the Mariners, Naylor loves hitting at T-Mobile Park, with a career line of .304/.335/.534. The Mariners should have room to bring him back.

"Another possible fit: Rangers. Rangers first basemen/DHs combined for a .657 OPS -- only the Rockies were worse. Texas still has Jake Burger and Joc Pederson (who will probably exercise his $18.5 million player option), but both had sub-.290 OBPs, so the Rangers will consider upgrading."

If the Mariners were to lose out on the Naylor sweepstakes to an American League West rival in the Rangers this offseason, that would be pretty brutal. While this is the case, the Mariners should have enough money to spend this offseason to hypothetically compete for Naylor. The team has specifically said that he is a priority.

He was an obvious fit in Seattle and the baseball world took notice as the club made it to the American League Championship Series. Now, it's just a matter of turning all of this noise of the offseason into reality and getting a deal done.

More MLB: Mariners May Not Lose Key Sluggers, Including Josh Naylor

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: