The Seattle Mariners are bringing Josh Naylor back…
The Seattle Mariners made it clear early on this offseason that they were going to be aggressive to bring Josh Naylor back to town and they weren’t messing around.
On Sunday night, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Mariners and the slugger have agreed to terms on a five-year deal to keep him in Seattle for the foreseeable future.
“Breaking: First baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners are finalizing a five-year contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN,” Passan said. “The first major free agent to sign this winter goes back to Seattle, where he was beloved after joining the Mariners in a deadline trade.
“The Mariners made Josh Naylor their top priority entering the winter, and his excellence down the stretch got him a long-term deal to join Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and the Mariners’ rotation as a foundational piece. His energy was infectious. Seattle didn’t want to lose it.”
This is a pretty big deal. Let’s take a look at the impact of the reported deal:
The Mariners got their man
How Josh Naylor Helps The Mariners
This one is pretty obvious. First base has been a hole for the Mariners over the last few years until Seattle acquired Naylor ahead of the trade deadline. Naylor slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine homers, 33 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 54 games played. Over that span, he tallied 2.2 wins above replacement. Naylor is an All-Star-level talent who can give you 20-plus homers, 100-plus RBIs, and also is a terror on the basepaths. He had a career-high 30 stolen bases in 2025. This is the long-term solution at first base the Mariners have been looking for.
Seattle Wasn’t Messing Around
MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer reported earlier in the offseason that the Mariners would have money to spend and projected Seattle to have between $30-35 million to mess around with. Mariners general manager Justin Hollander was clear that bringing Naylor back was the top priority.
“It was a great fit and it’s definitely a priority for us this offseason — if not one, I don’t know what else would be, he’s No. 1 right now,” Hollander said.
Clearly, they weren’t lying. Typically, big deals don’t get done until the Winter Meetings. This is an early signing and one that sets the tone for Seattle.
What’s next?
As of writing, the official contract details haven’t been released. But, this is a big statement right away. Naylor is the first big-name player to sign. Now, other free agents out there know that he will be a part of the Mariners moving forward and certainly makes Seattle an even better landing spot and a contender in the American League.
