The Seattle Mariners locked up Josh Naylor on a five-year deal, making him the first major free agent to sign this winter.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news Sunday night, and it’s exactly what Seattle wanted heading into the offseason.
“First baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners are finalizing a five-year contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. The first major free agent to sign this winter goes back to Seattle, where he was beloved after joining the Mariners in a deadline trade.”
This was Seattle’s top priority, and for good reason.
The Mariners acquired Naylor in late July knowing he’d hit free agency after the season. They had a few months to see if the fit worked both ways.
It worked.
Naylor didn’t just produce at the plate – he brought an energy that connected immediately with the fanbase. The guy’s one of the slowest runners in baseball, but he made it his mission to steal bases without getting caught once. That’s the kind of baseball IQ and competitiveness that translates everywhere.
His power played well in Seattle, and the infectious enthusiasm Passan mentioned became a defining characteristic of their playoff run to Game 7 of the ALCS.
What makes this signing so important is the foundation it creates. Naylor joins Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Seattle’s rotation as a core piece they can build around.
The way I see it, whatever else the Mariners do this offseason becomes a bonus. They identified their most important target and got it done before Thanksgiving.
Now Seattle can decide whether to pursue reunions with Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco, or look elsewhere for upgrades. They’ve got flexibility because they handled the main priority first.
That’s smart front office work – securing the player who became essential to their identity during that playoff run, then building from there.
