The Seattle Mariners battled their way to becoming the division champs of the AL West, and now they’re ready to make a playoff push.
However, the length they go in the playoffs doesn’t matter if they don’t keep the roster that got them there. They need to re-sign their core, while adding onto it.
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MLB insider Bob Nightengale believes the first thing the Mariners will do this offseason is try to re-sign their All-Star first baseman, Josh Naylor.
“The Mariners will make every attempt to sign Naylor as a free agent this winter,” Nightengale wrote.
Nightingale also included that Naylor has been a key factor in the success that the Mariners have had this season.
“The Cincinnati Reds were close to acquiring Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor at the trade deadline before he went to the Seattle Mariners and became instrumental in their resurgence. Naylor is hitting .299 with nine homers, 33 RBIs and a .831 OPS for the Mariners, and believe it or not, has stolen 19 bases without being caught,” Nightengale stated.
This season, Naylor has slashed .295/.353/.462/.816 with 20 home runs, 92 RBI, and 30 stolen bases between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Mariners. Hopefully, the Mariners know how important Naylor is, and get him locked down for at least the foreseeable future.
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