The Seattle Mariners have kicked off trade-deadline season with another significant summer addition, acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday for two pitching prospects.
And the Mariners might just be getting started.
Naylor, 28, will provide a middle-of-the-order presence around Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena for what the Mariners hope to be a second-half surge into the postseason.
To that end, the Mariners expect to remain engaged on trade talks with the Diamondbacks on a potential reunion with third baseman Eugenio Suarez, a source said.
Suarez, who the Mariners dealt to Arizona in a cost-cutting move in November 2023, is the most coveted bat available ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline.
The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs, among others, have also been linked to Suarez, who is among the MLB leaders in home runs (36) and RBI (86) and, thus, will command a steep return in any deal.
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An industry source said Suarez remains the Mariners’ No. 1 target ahead of the trade deadline.
The Mariners made the Naylor trade official later Thursday. Naylor is earning $10.9 million this season and will be a free agent this winter.
In June, Naylor went 8 for 12 with a grand slam and two doubles against the Mariners in the Diamondbacks’ three-game series sweep in Phoenix.
“We are thrilled to add Josh as we make a push for the postseason,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement. “Josh’s ability to hit for both average and power is unique, and we are excited to not face him anymore.”
After missing out on the postseason by one game in each of the past two seasons — and after striking out in their attempts to trade for an impact bat over the winter — the Mariners had signaled that they intended to be aggressive in the buildup to this trade deadline.
They’re starting to deliver on that promise.
And with one of the most robust farm systems in baseball, the Mariners could conceivably outbid just about anyone for any trade target.
The addition of Naylor continues a trend for the Mariners of using the July trade deadline as a major roster-building window.
In 2022, the Mariners acquired Luis Castillo, the best starting pitcher on the market, for four prospects in a trade with Cincinnati; in 2024, the Mariners traded three prospects to Tampa Bay for Arozarena, the best bat available at the time.
Naylor, a hefty left-handed hitter, will take over as the regular at first base, where the Mariners have been employing a platoon of Luke Raley and Donovan Solano over the past month. Naylor could also be in the mix at designated hitter.
Naylor is hitting .292 with a .360 on-base percentage and a .447 slugging (.807 OPS) with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. He also has one of the lowest strikeout rates (12.4%) in MLB, with just 49 strikeouts in 394 plate appearances this season. He has an above-average walk rate (9.4%), but does lead the National League with 14 groundball double plays.
Naylor, in his first year with the Diamondbacks, was a first-time All-Star with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. The Mariners had been engaged on a potential trade with Cleveland for Naylor over the winter.
The Mariners are sending two prospects to Arizona, both of whom are ranked outside the Mariners’ Top 10 by Baseball America.
Left-handed reliever Brandyn Garcia, who made his MLB debut with the M’s earlier this week, is ranked as the Mariners’ No. 19 prospect, per Baseball America; right-hander Ashton Izzi is ranked No. 13.
