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The Seattle Marines are looking to make some impact moves heading into the MLB trade deadline. The Mariners sit in second place in the American League West division with a 36-35 record. Along with that, the team is just half a game out from a Wild Card spot. With now being the time for teams to start to decide whether or not to be buyers or sellers, Seattle should fall into the buyer category.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are surprisingly struggling this year. They have plenty of talent with Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and the rest of their lineup. However, competing in the National League is proving to be very tough. Arizona has the same record as Seattle, but the Diamondbacks are 7.0 games back in the NL West, and 3.0 games back from a Wild Card Spot.
The Diamondbacks have to decide if they are going to be buyers or sellers this season, and it seems likely that they will be selling off some of their players. With Corbin Burnes being out for the season, and a few key relievers in Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk being on the long-term IL, the pitching staff is weak.
Arizona also has a few players in the last year of their contracts with the team. First baseman Josh Naylor is one of those guys. In fact, he has been linked to many trade rumors, including a link to Naylor and the Mariners.
One thing is for certain, the Mariners could definitely use Naylor on their team this season.
Mariners first baseman this season
In general, the Mariners have been a poor offensive team. Cal Raleigh has been doing his best to keep the offensive moving, but the rest of the lineup has not responded. On the season, the Mariners are slashing just .242/.322/.395. It is not a terrible slash line, but it could be a lot better.
First base has been a position holding the team down. Seattle’s first baseman have combined to slash .204/.262/.388 with the eighth-highest strike out rate (24.6%), and the sixth-lowest fWAR (-0.6). Going down the list of statistical categories, the Mariners’ first baseman are among the worst in a lot of them, per FanGraphs.
This is a position Seattle desperately needs to address sooner rather than later if they are going to remain in the hunt for the AL West, or just a Wild Card spot.
Mariners trade proposal for Josh Naylor
To be clear, below is just a hypothetical trade proposal. It is just what Naylor could be worth should he be traded to the Mariners.
Mariners Receive: 1B Josh Naylor
Diamondbacks Receive: RHP Logan Evans (#10 Prospect), 1B Tyler Locklear (#11 prospect), and RHP Teddy McGraw (#17 prospect)
Josh Naylor is in the final year of his contract, so he will hit the free agent market after this season. In his contract year, Naylor is slashing .300/.355/.471 with a 130 OPS+, nine home runs, 48 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 79 total hits in 69 games played. He is a great pure hitter, and if a team is going to land Naylor, it is going to require a big return.
As for what Seattle would be giving up, it is three prospects that are MLB-ready, or close to it.
Logan Evans has already made his debut, but his eight starts in the MLB this year are not enough to take him off the top prospect list. Evans has a 3.38 ERA in 40.0 innings pitched at the big league level this season. He has not been a big strikeout pitcher, but he attacks the zone, and forces opponents to beat him with their bats. With Burnes done for the season, and the possibility of Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly being shipped off, Evans would slot into the rotation nicely at Chase Field.
Tyler Locklear is another player that has made his MLB debut already. However, he was just 7-for-45 in his 16 games played in 2024. He has spent all of 2025 in Triple-A, and he is hitting the ball well. In 65 games with the Tacoma Rainiers, Locklear is slashing .282/.370/.416 with five home runs, and 37 RBI. He needs to lift the ball off the ground a little bit more, but Locklear would give the Diamondbacks a solid prospect at first base.
Finally, Teddy McGraw is another pitcher for the Diamondbacks to develop. McGraw was a third round pick in 2023, and he has yet to make his debut. He is currently pitching in High-A, but a promotion could be in the works soon. He threw three hitless innings in his High-A debut, and should be ready for Double-A after a month of two. Arizona has some injuries they are dealing with on the mound, and getting McGraw would be great for the future of the pitching staff.
More must-reads:
- Biggest impact of Josh Naylor trade may still be to come
- Four teams that should be buyers at the trade deadline
- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
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