Mariners get needed power bat from Diamondbacks

The Seattle Mariners were known to be shopping for an impact bat for their lineup. They attempted to fill that void on Thursday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Mariners acquired first baseman Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks. Pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi are heading to Arizona in return.

Naylor entered Thursday having produced a .292/.360/.447 batting line in 394 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks, hitting 11 homers and 19 doubles while stealing a career high 11 bases. Mariners first basemen had ranked 18th in the majors with a .711 OPS entering Thursday, leading to primary first baseman Rowdy Tellez being released on June 26.

While Naylor may not be the impact bat that the Mariners had been shopping for, he does have plenty of power. He hit 31 homers as part of an All-Star season for Cleveland in 2024 and should provide more power for a Marines lineup that could use a boost.

In exchange, the Diamondbacks receive a pair of intriguing prospects. Garcia, the Mariners 13th-ranked prospect before the trade, is viewed as a late bloomer who has improved drastically since being drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The lefty has an intriguing four-pitch mix headlined by a mid-90s sinker and a cutter that generates plenty of swings and misses.

Izzi, the Mariners 16th-ranked prospect, was a fourth-round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft. While there are questions about his command, Izzi has an above average fastball that has topped out at 97 mph. His sweeper has the ability to miss bats, and while Izzi does have the vestiges of a changeup, that pitch may not matter if he transitions to the bullpen where his fastball and sweeper could play up.

This may not be the Mariners' only trade with the Diamondbacks ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Seattle is known to be interested in third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who would add another needed power bat to their lineup. Naylor provides a needed upgrade, but he may only be the beginning of a busy week for both teams.