The Seattle Mariners made it to the playoffs on the backs of their core players, with first baseman and deadline acquisition Josh Naylor being one of the most important among them.
However, Naylor’s contract will be done after this year. The Mariners need to make sure he’s brought back, but in case he decides to leave, they need a backup plan. Fansided’s Zachary Rotman has a backup plan, where he predicts that the Mariners will target New York Mets superstar Pete Alonso.
“Naylor is a better defender and contact hitter, but Alonso is a tier or two above Naylor in the power department and as a run producer. Can you imagine pairing his power bat with guys like Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena? Seattle ranked third in the majors in round-trippers this season and could be even more formidable in the power department with Alonso,” Rotman wrote.
Comparing the two, Alonso does have significantly more thump in his bat. He finished the season slashing .272/.347/.524/.871 with 38 homers and 126 RBI. Naylor, on the other hand, slashed .295/.353/.462/.816 with 20 homers and 92 RBI.
Naylor would also be cheaper than Alonso, but he only does better than Alonso in two categories, with one only being marginally better.
So, the Mariners definitely should try to re-sign Naylor, as he already works well with the team, and they know what they’re getting with him. However, if he walks, they should be the first on the phone with Alonso, as he could turn their lineup into something fearsome.
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