The Seattle Mariners jump-started the trade deadline for the second consecutive year, with a trade for Josh Naylor on Thursday. In return for Naylor, the Mariners sent Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Naylor joined his new club in Anaheim on Friday and was activated ahead of the second game with the Los Angeles Angels. In a corresponding move for Naylor being activated by the Seattle Mariners, they optioned INF/OF Miles Mastrobuoni to Triple-A Tacoma.
Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster
The Seattle Mariners activated Josh Naylor on Friday Afternoon. The 28-year-old, left-handed hitting first baseman will likely take over as the everyday first baseman. This season, Naylor, in 93 games for Arizona, is hitting .292 with an .807 OPS. He has 19 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs, 59 RBI, 49 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, and 37 walks. Those types of numbers will drastically improve the Seattle lineup. He will play first base and hit cleanup in his first game as a Mariner.
Trading away Brandyn Garcia opened up a roster spot on the 40-man roster. The Mariners just needed to make a move to open up a spot on the active roster. They decided on optioning INF/OF Miles Mastrobuoni to Triple-A Tacoma. Mastrobuoni has seen plenty of playing time with the Mariners this season after being claimed off waivers in the offseason. The 29-year-old is hitting .252 with a .620 OPS. He has three doubles, one home run, 12 RBI, five stolen bases, and 17 walks.
The Mariners are still heavily involved in trade rumors as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches. They are looking to bolster their bullpen and lineup as they gear up for a playoff push.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!