Mariners’ big bat could cash in huge, with projections pointing to a 4-year, $90 million contract .MH
The Mariners have the money to reunite with Josh Naylor in free agency…
The Seattle Mariners have been close to the top of the league for the last few years, but they’ve never been able to secure themselves a spot at the top of the top. Their pitching staff has been dominant, but the lineup hasn’t picked up the slack. This season, the lineup was loaded with talent, including an MVP-caliber season from Cal Raleigh.
But the lineup was heavily upgraded at the trade deadline, which helped push the Mariners to the American League West crown. They added Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor in a pair of trades with the Arizona Diamondbacks. At the time, the Suárez trade was a bigger deal, but Naylor ended up being one of the best performers down the stretch.
But both players are headed for free agency, and the Mariners need to do everything in their power to reunite with at least one of the two.
Josh Naylor’s latest contract projection is good news for Mariners
It seems like the Mariners would prioritize Naylor over Suárez. He’s a bit younger and would fit the team long-term a lot better than the aging Suárez.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently projected Naylor would sign a four-year, $90 million deal in free agency this winter.
“The RBI machine is a solid lefty bat with great instincts (30 steals as the third-slowest player in the league — even more remarkable than Soto’s NL-leading 38),” Heyman wrote.
There have been projections for Naylor that range well over $100 million, which isn’t good news for Seattle. But a solid four-year deal that pays him slightly less than $25 million a season would work perfectly for the Mariners.
Seattle needs to prioritize this reunion over all else in the offseason. Naylor has the chance to be the team’s franchise first baseman for the next few years. He fits perfectly in the lineup alongside the other top talent on the team.
There are bound to be other top suitors for Naylor, including the Boston Red Sox, but Seattle needs to give him the money he wants to bring him back.
