May 12, 2018; Detroit, MI, USA; Hat and glove of Seattle Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon (9) sits in dugout during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Mariners Predicted To Sign $90 Million Slugger After ALCS Heartbreak

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 10:18 AM ET

The Seattle Mariners made a few big moves at the trade deadline last season to add Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor. These two trades helped push the team all the way to the American League Championship Series, but they fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in heartbreaking fashion.

Now Naylor and Suárez are both free agents and the Mariners need to work on retaining or replacing this talent.

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Will Laws and Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated recently predicted the Mariners would retain Naylor in free agency this winter, which would be a huge move, but one in the right direction. Jim Bowden of the Athletic predicted Naylor would sign a $90 million deal this winter, which would likely make him the big free agent of the offseason for Seattle, if it can land him.

Josh Naylor should be the Mariners' top offseason priority

"Naylor sacrificed some bat speed for a more contact-centric approach in 2025, and the result was a career-best year based on wRC+ (128) despite seeing his year-over-year home run total drop from 31 to 20," Laws and Selbe wrote. "The new strategy brought with it fewer strikeouts, a huge spike in BABIP (partially justified based on his improved squared-up rate) and kept his hard-hit rate in line with his career averages. And just for fun, Naylor—whose average sprint speed (24.4 feet per second) ranks in the third percentile of all hitters—became a stolen base merchant, swiping 30 bags in 32 attempts."

Getting Naylor back in Seattle should be the team's top priority this offseason. He was one of their best players down the stretch. Naylor also quickly became a fan favorite in Seattle.

The team doesn't get as far in the postseason last year without their trade for Naylor. With him sitting in the open market, he's bound to land a big payday. It's unlike the Mariners to give out huge deals, but Naylor should be an exception to that rule. They need to do everything they can to bring him back in 2026.

More MLB: Eugenio Suárez Predicted To Betray Mariners For $70M Deal With NL Club

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

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