Seattle Mariners Target Josh Naylor Gets Traded to Arizona Diamondbacks
There is now one less option for first base in 2025 for the Seattle Mariners.
Just hours after 14-year veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt agreed to a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the New York Yankees, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired 2024 All-Star Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians.
The Guardians received right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi and a Competitive Balance Round B draft pick in return for Naylor, per a report from ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 21, 2024
Arizona acquires: 1B Josh Naylor
Cleveland acquires: RHP Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick
It was reported earlier in the week that Seattle and Cleveland had engaged in trade conversations and that Naylor was included in the talks between the two teams. A subsequent report from the Seattle Times' Adam Jude on "X" (formerly known as Twitter) said that a deal between the two teams for Naylor was "highly unlikely."
Naylor is coming off the best offensive season of his career from a power perspective. He hit a career-high 31 home runs and 108 RBIs to go with a .243 batting average.
Josh Naylor ties it with his SECOND home run of the night! pic.twitter.com/yvR1FF06eC
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024
Looking at the Guardians' return for Naylor, it's hard to imagine the Mariners couldn't match or exceed that package.
Naylor is set to earn $14.2 million in his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency after the 2025 season. His salary, the potential trade package and the possibility he would be a one-and-done player might be the reason Seattle didn't acquire him.
Regardless, Naylor's deal means there is one less potential first baseman for the Mariners. And the trade was paired with more bad news after news came out that Cleveland had signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year, $12 million deal.
It seems more and more likely like Justin Turner will be the first baseman Seattle pairs with Luke Raley at first base in 2025.
The one benefit to losing out on Naylor, Goldschmidt, Santana and Christian Walker in a two-day period is that there are less suitors for available first basemen in free agency and the trade market.
It's just a matter of whether the Mariners can actually bring one of them to the Pacific Northwest.
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