Mariners Trade For Slugger Josh Naylor From Diamondbacks
By Jeffrey Nooney, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - In a big time move ahead of the MLB trade deadline in about a week, our Seattle Mariners have acquired one of the best hitters on the market. The Mariners have traded for first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks, filling a major hole at first base Seattle has had for some time. While most fans want a reunion with third baseman Eugenio Suárez, dealing for Naylor fills a much bigger need. In return, the Mariners sent LHP Brandyn Garcia (Seattle’s No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline) and RHP Ashton Izzi (Seattle’s No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline) to the Diamondbacks. Naylor was dealt from the Cleveland Guardians during the offseason to Arizona to fill the hole that longtime Diamondback Christian Walker left behind when he signed with the Houston Astros, and even at that time he was potentially linked to Seattle as they were searching for their solution at first base amongst him while also pushing for a reunion with Carlos Santana that fell through. With an improved offense compared to last season and sitting well within reach of the Houston Astros atop the American League West division, the Mariners are acting as buyers: something fans have wanted and the clear right move as the team hopes to make the postseason for just the second time in 24 years.
“We are thrilled to add Josh as we make a push for the Postseason. Josh’s ability to hit for both average and power is unique and we are excited to not face him anymore.”
Josh Naylor is having one of his best seasons of his career. Josh’s slash line is currently .292/.360/.447/.807 with an OPS+ of 124. He has hit eleven home runs, 59 RBIs and has even added eleven stolen bases this season. While his power numbers are down this year, Naylor does exactly what this Mariners front office covets… He gets on base and limits strikeouts. This season, he has struck out in just 12.4% of his plate appearances, while walking a career high 9.4% of his plate appearances. This is not just a 2025 thing for Naylor, his career strikeout percentage (15.9%) is almost a full seven percent below league average.
Naylor is a free agent after this season, but dealing for him could signal more things to come and Seattle has pursued his services before so they are likely keen to keep him around for longer than just the next few months. The 28-year-old is one of 12 left-handed hitters across the Majors with an OPS of .800 or better since 2023 (minimum of 1,500 plate appearances), along with Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, Rafael Devers, Kyle Schwarber, Gunnar Henderson, Corbin Carroll, Cody Bellinger and Jarren Duran.
Seattle Mariners left-handed pitching prospect Brandyn Garcia during his MLB debut on Monday, July 21st, 2025 against the Milwaukee Brewers at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Aimee Arnold for Circling Seattle Sports)
Garcia and Izzi were ranked at #13 and #16 respectively, which means that the Mariners still have a ton of prospect depth to deal moving forward. Garcia was recalled and made his Major League debut on July 21, just a few days ago. He pitched in two games, giving up two runs (just one earned) on four hits, two walks and one strikeout. Garcia started the year in AA Arkansas, before being promoted to Tacoma. Ashton Izzi, 21, has pitched for A Everett with a 5.51 ERA through 12 starts.
What’s next?
Even after acquiring Naylor from the Diamondbacks, sources tell MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer and Circling Seattle Sports that the Mariners remain engaged with Arizona on a possible Eugenio Suárez reunion. Suárez, who is also a free agent after this season, played for the Mariners from 2022-2023 before being dealt to Arizona during the offseason before the 2024 season in a deal that was all but confirmed to be a salary dump as Seattle’s front office worked with a limited payroll. The “Good Vibes Only” infielder has had a career resurgence since July of last season, earning his second trip to the All-Star game. Suárez has hit 36 home runs so far this season, and leads the National League in runs batted in with 86. He still strikes out way more than league average, but he has dropped his strikeout percentage nearly four percent since donning the Mariners jersey.
Like I said above, the Mariners filled a major hole in their lineup without dealing any of their top prospects, even doing so without prospects in the Top 100. There are still some areas to upgrade this lineup for the rest of the season at third base and a middle reliever. Bench depth is always important as well. I would expect that the Mariners will still be aggressive moving forward, but I sure am excited that they got Naylor to start. With eight days still left before the deadline, this has already been a winning trade deadline. Time to get greedy!
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