The first major move of the 2025 MLB trade deadline arrived Thursday, with a deal that sent Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Reportedly going back to the D-backs in return are pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi. Garcia made his MLB debut only three days earlier as a reliever, and Izzi is currently playing for the High-A Everett Aquasox. Garcia is ranked 13th on MLB Pipeline’s list of top Mariners prospects, while Izzi is 16th.
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Naylor is a pending free agent, so this is a straight-forward rental for the Mariners.
The D-backs acquired Naylor last offseason in a deal that sent pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive-balance draft pick to the Cleveland Guardians. The move was made to replace outgoing first baseman Christian Walker, now of the Houston Astros, on an Arizona roster that still held playoff aspirations.
Naylor mostly fulfilled his end of the bargain, slashing .292/.360/.447 with 11 homers in 93 games, while the D-Backs did not. They currently hold a record of 50-53, good for fourth place in the NL West and 5.5 games back from a wild-card spot.
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Arizona is now getting started on selling at the deadline, and the Mariners proved to be a match for Naylor.
What Josh Naylor brings to the Mariners
At 54-48 and in the thick of the wild-card race, the Mariners entered the deadline with some clear areas for improvement. First base was one of them.
Since designating Rowdy Tellez for assignment, Seattle has used a platoon combination of Luke Raley against right-handed pitchers and Donovan Solano against left-handers. Neither player has impressed much, and the Mariners rank only 18th in OPS in the majors at the position.
Naylor gives them an everyday bat that could slot in toward the top or in the middle of the lineup.
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While his power and exit-velocity numbers leave something to be desired, he remains quite good at getting the bat on the ball, which is something the Mariners could definitely use. His 12.4% strikeout rate would be the best among all Mariners regulars this season.
So that’s one position down for the Mariners. The question remains how far they will go, and if they will be going back to the D-Backs for another major need.
What of Eugenio Suarez?
Many fans have been hoping for a reunion with third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who played for the team in 2022 and 2023, to fill a clear hole at the hot corner.
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Suarez is among the most sought-after players at the trade deadline, topping out Yahoo Sports’ rankings of potential targets. His 36 homers ranks fourth in the majors, behind only Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports the Mariners plan to remain engaged with the D-Backs on Suarez. However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post said the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs are also interested in the slugger, which suggests a bidding war could be in the works.
Teams have until 6 p.m. on July 31 to make a deal.
