MLB free agency has officially begun, and the first high-profile signing comes out west in Seattle, where the Mariners are finalizing a deal with Josh Naylor to keep the 28-year-old first baseman in Seattle for five seasons. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to break the news.
Josh Naylor is one of the best slugging first basemen in MLB, and he immediately became a fan favorite in Seattle when he was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was known at the time that Naylor was on an expiring contract, and Mariners’ executive Jerry Dipoto made the decision to sign Naylor.
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Mariners Retain Josh Naylor on Five-Year Contract
Josh Naylor has played for three teams in the last two seasons, but has become known for his passionate play and power. The financials of the deal have not yet been announced, but they will likely surface in the coming days. The deal will become official when he passes a physical.
GettyTORONTO, ONTARIO – OCTOBER 19: Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game six of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 19, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
In 147 games between the Mariners and Diamondbacks, Naylor hit 20 home runs and drove in 92 runs. In 2024, he was named to the All-Star team. He hit 9 home runs in 54 games with Seattle. Over 745 career games, Naylor has 104 home runs and a career .269 average.
Naylor may have been eligible for a qualifying offer, but he was traded mid-season, which makes you ineligible for the $22 million tab. One can assume that the contract may be worth anywhere from $75-90 million. That would make him among the highest-paid first basemen in MLB, but still a step down from the bigger names like Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, and Bryce Harper.
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Signing Josh Naylor was a Priority for the Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are fresh off one of the best seasons in franchise history. They won the AL West for the first time in 20+ years, and advanced to the ALCS, where they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Mariners’ success was a large part due to A. Cal Raleigh and B., the starting rotation, but signing Naylor really solidifies their lineup. And that gives Seattle a solid core lineup with Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, and now Naylor.
Seattle’s front office still has decisions to make on third baseman Eugenio Suarez and middle infielder Jorge Polanco. This may be the first step in bringing back the same cast of players into the 2026 season.
If that does happen to be the case, the M’s will be among the favorites for an AL Pennant in 2026.
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