Mariners picked the perfect time to strike a deal with Josh Naylor

Jared Bloom

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Mariners picked the perfect time to strike a deal with Josh Naylor image

The Seattle Mariners are coming off a great 2025 season. They erased a two-year playoff drought, making the postseason and going on a solid run. 

They took down the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS, but would face a tougher challenge when they faced off against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. They would go on to lose that series, but have made the most of their offseason so far. 

Seattle has struck deals with Joe Ferrer, Rob Refsnyder, Andrew Knizner, Alex Hoppe, and Josh Naylor. Naylor was certainly the biggest signing, and the two sides agreed on a five-year, $92.5 million contract. Now, he knows where he will be playing over the next few years, which should take a lot of pressure and worry away from him.

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Mariners picked the perfect time to strike a deal with Josh Naylor

The first base market had a lot of eyes on it when the offseason first kicked off. Instead of waiting for the market to settle, Seattle went out and signed Naylor before someone like Pete Alonso could sign a contract. 

By doing this, Seattle likely saved itself a ton of money as Alonso went on to sign a five-year, $155 milliono deal with the Baltimore Orioles. 

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer applauds Seattle for going out and singing Naylor before the market settled. 

"It nonetheless still feels fair to look at Naylor's deal as a sneaky signing, at least in part because the Mariners were clearly wise to jump the market. If he'd waited until after Pete Alonso's $155 million payday to sign, he might have done even better."

Seattle was able to save a good amount of money and retain a good portion of their offense. This was a great addition for the Mariners, and they will certainly be a team to watch out for when the 2026 season kicks off.

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