Oct 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) reacts after third baseman Eugenio Suarez (not pictured) hits a grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning during game five of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Mariners Urged To Make Obvious Josh Naylor Decision

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 8:47 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners clearly found something when they acquired Josh Naylor ahead of the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Naylor was having a good season with the Arizona Diamondbacks when the Mariners acquired him. He played in 93 games with the Diamondbacks and slashed .292/.360/.447 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, 19 doubles, one triple, and 49 runs scored.

He was even better with Seattle. Naylor played in 54 games and hit nine homers, drove in 33 runs, stole 19 bases, had 10 doubles, and slashed .299/.341/.490. There's no other way to say it. Naylor was great for Seattle. Now, he's going to be a free agent, though. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller made a list of one player each team should bring back and made the obvious call and mentioned Naylor for Seattle.

"Seattle Mariners: 1B Josh Naylor," Miller said. "Of the two corner infielders Seattle acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline, Naylor was the one Mariners fans quickly came to adore most passionately. For the first time in a long time, first base became a legitimate strong suit for this team, and it needs to find a way to keep that going. If that means letting all of Eugenio Suárez, Jorge Polanco and Caleb Ferguson walk while making sure to re-sign Naylor, so be it."

The Mariners absolutely should re-sign Josh Naylor

Of all of the Mariners' free agents, Naylor makes the most sense to try to bring back. He's just 28 years old and has been great over the last three years. Since 2022, Naylor has hit 88 homers, driven in 376 runs, and is a .275 hitter in 542 games played.

The Mariners have been looking for some pop at first base for a while and Naylor instantly solved the issue once he came over. Plus, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto already has said that Naylor will be a "priority."

"Obviously it's a priority, and we will take a step back from where we are before we truly assess," Dipoto said. "We'll communicate with the players before we say anything publicly, but you know, we're still in grief mode and so are they. We loved every moment with those guys and with others who are pending free agents."

It's easier said than done as there will surely be other teams that want Naylor, but it's not hard to see that bringing him back would be a positive move.

More MLB: Josh Naylor Raises Eyebrows With Comment On Cal Raleigh's Instagram

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

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