The Seattle Mariners were one game away from their first-ever World Series appearance, but they fell short and now have some decisions to make this offseason. One of their top priorities will be re-signing their All-Star first baseman, Josh Naylor.
And now, Naylor’s possible contract has been revealed. The Athletic’s Tim Britton projects that Naylor will sign a four-year, $94 million contract this offseason, using Mike Napoli, Carlos Santana, and Christian Walker as references.
“Naylor’s youth here helps him; he should sign for longer than any of these players, with a five-year deal firmly within reason. I’m going to stick with four, however, because just about every player who gets five or more years has a better track record than Naylor. Keeping it to four years means an AAV on the higher side of this cohort,” Britton wrote.
This season, Naylor slashed.295/.353/.462/.816 with 29 doubles, 20 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and 92 RBI over 147 games played. Naylor was also a deadline acquisition from the Arizona Diamondbacks and played even better with the Mariners.
Most likely, the Mariners will retain Naylor. He played so well for them that they cannot just let him walk away.
If the Mariners retain Naylor and their core, while going out and getting a star or two from free agency or trade, they really have a chance to go all the way. Hopefully, they realize that and start by giving Naylor the money he deserves.
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