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Oct 19, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) singles in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game six of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Pirates Never Made Offer to Mariners' Josh Naylor

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Nov 24, 2025 1:45 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are targeting hitters in free agency that will bolster their offense in 2026, but they apparently never made an offer on a player that they were previously reported doing so.

Pirates Never Made Record Offer for Josh Naylor

Jeff Passan of ESPN previously reported on Nov. 18 that the Pirates offered first baseman Josh Naylor double of what was their previous record for a free agent signing.

The Pirates record free agent signing is a three-year, $39 million deal for left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano, which he signed on Dec. 9, 2014, which would've put the offer at $78 million or more.

Naylor ended up re-signing with the Seattle Mariners on a five-year, $92 million deal, which is about $18.5 million per season.

Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that the Pirates never actually made an offer to Naylor, as the Mariners quickly got the contract done before the Pirates got involved.

"The Pirates never actually made an offer to Naylor, according to people briefed on the discussions," Rosenthal and Drellich wrote. "Just two weeks after the conclusion of the World Series, Naylor reached agreement with the Seattle Mariners on a five-year contract with an AAV of $18.5 million. The deal happened so quickly, the Pirates did not get seriously involved."

Why the Pirates Made This Offer for Josh Naylor

The Pirates had one of the worst offenses in baseball in 2025, and with postseason aspirations, they need better additions.

Pittsburgh posted the worst slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), while also driving in the least RBI (561) and hitting the least home runs (117) of any MLB team in 2025.

Naylor had the best season of his career in 2025, slashing .295/.353/.462 for an OPS of .815 in 147 games, with 160 hits, 29 doubles, 20 home runs, 92 RBIs, 48 walks to 93 strikeouts and 30 stolen bases on 32 attempts.

He started the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, before they traded him to the Mariners at the deadline.

Naylor continued his great play with both teams, hitting .292 with the Diamondbacks and .299 with the Mariners.

He also excelled in the postseason with Seattle, slashing .340/.392/.574 for an OPS of .966 in 12 games, with 16 hits in 47 at-bats, seven runs scored, two doubles, three home runs, four walks to six strikeouts and two stolen bases.

Naylor had success with the Cleveland Indians/Guardians from 2020-24, slashing .264/.324/.450 for an OPS of .774 in 486 games, 464 hits, 102 doubles, 75 home runs, 307 RBIs and 147 walks to 306 strikeouts.

He became a power hitter with Cleveland, hitting a career-high 31 home runs in 2024, earning him his first All-Star nod. His best season in Cleveland came in 2023, slashing .308/.354/.489. for an OPS of 842 in 121 games.

The Pirates would've added a hitter that could feature at first base or designated hitter, where they don't have an every day player heading into 2026, where Andrew McCutchen coming back is not a sure thing.

Pirates Aiming Towards Improving Roster in 2026

Pittsburgh is historically a team with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball and one that rarely makes moves in free agency,

The Pirates haven't signed a free agent position player to a multi-year deal since outfielderJohn Jaso, two-years, $8 million on Dec. 23, 2015. Their most recent free agent multi-year signing was starting pitcher Iván Nova for three years, $26 million on Dec. 27, 2016.

Pittsburgh's free agent dealings last season saw them sign outfielder Tommy Pham for $4.025 million, left-handed pitchers in Andrew Heaney for $5.25 million and Caleb Ferguson for $3 million and former All-Star utility man Adam Frazier for $1.525 million, all on one-year contracts.

The Pirates, unsurprisingly, finished 71-91 overall, with the worst record in the National League Central Division and the fifth worst record in baseball.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke at the general manager meetings in Las Vegas two weeks ago and said the team is more "flexible" for trades and free agent signings and will take a more "aggressive" approach in years past.

Rosenthal did not that while the Pirates didn't offer Naylor, they are interested in infielders like Ryan O'Hearn, Jorge Polanco and Kuzamo Okamoto, plus designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

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

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