Of course, Josh Naylor wouldn’t notice a sign taped to the railing in front of the left-field bleachers.
This is a player who is so focused on what he needs to do every single moment of every game that he barely spoke to his younger brother, Bo, after he reached first base during a recent game in Cleveland.
It’s who he is. It’s how he plays. It’s why Mariners fans have embraced him almost immediately since he was acquired via trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 24.
The sign read: “Sign Naylor Now.”
It’s a sentiment that has grown steadily among the Mariners fan base with each game. With his heroics to start the homestand – a game-winning double in Monday’s win and a go-ahead solo homer on Tuesday, there will be more signs like it appearing at T-Mobile Park in the days ahead.
“No, I didn’t,” Naylor replied, when asked if he saw the sign. “I don’t really look around at the crowd like that during the game. I’m kind of just locked in on the moment. But that’s super cool. The fans here are awesome.”
While the adage in baseball for executives, managers and coaches is, “think like a fan and you’ll soon be one,” the idea of keeping Naylor with the organization grows more logical with every game he plays for the Mariners.
A need at first base
Looking at the Mariners roster for next season, Luke Raley would likely be slotted into first base, or perhaps Jorge Polanco if he were to exercise his 2026 player option. Raley is better defensively in the outfield and has been a platoon player for most of his career. Polanco has recently started working at first base for “if needed” situations in the final month of the season.
But there is a strong possibility that he declines his $6 million player option for 2026 to test the free agent market considering how productive he’s been at the plate this season. The Mariners didn’t believe that Tyler Locklear would be their first baseman of the future, which is why they traded him to the Diamondbacks for Eugenio Suárez and why Rowdy Tellez made the opening-day roster.
A glance at the Mariners’ loaded farm system doesn’t show an MLB ready prospect at first base. Some scouts have wondered if the Mariners might eventually convert Lazaro Montes to first base, but even if they did that this offseason, he wouldn’t be ready to contribute immediately next season.
Trading for Naylor was a temporary fix to address a glaring need that might have grown into a long-term solution.
Perfect fit
From a production standpoint, he’s not an all-or-nothing power hitter. His patient approach and low strikeout rate is needed for a lineup that does have some swing-and-miss issues.
“He’s a balanced hitter and a guy that you just don’t know how to pitch to on a consistent basis,” Wilson said. “He’s tough. He hits anything. Lefties, righties, it doesn’t matter. He’s just a complete hitter in a lot of ways. He’s got power. He’s able to go the other way to pick up a hit. He’s just a guy that finds barrels. In big moments, he’s able to slow the game down and come up with a big hit, like he did last night. And tonight’s home run was another indication that he finds the big moment and is able to deliver.”
While the Mariners knew they were getting a productive player with a high baseball IQ and bubbling intensity, they have been ecstatic with how Naylor has meshed into the clubhouse. He’s a diligent worker that fits into their daily preparation philosophy. They also like the singular focus he brings to the field, and the quiet leadership he’s shown.
Naylor’s intense focus on finding little advantages is a welcomed mentality. The perfect example is being 14 for 14 in stolen bases with the Mariners.
“He is a competitor,” said Julio Rodríguez. “He just goes out there to do everything he can to help us win the game. That’s something that I respect a lot. I’m really happy he’s on our side and he’s competing for us. He just brings it every day. You know what you’re gonna get out of him. He’s just a dog, for real.”
Naylor likes Seattle
A few weeks ago, Naylor did a postgame interview with 710 AM Seattle Sports’ Bob Stelton and Dave Wyman. He mentioned that he liked hitting at T-Mobile Park and believed it was a great place to hit.
When is the last time you’ve heard a player say that?
Then again, Naylor has posted a .379/.438/.724 slash line with five doubles, five homers, 12 runs scored, 13 RBI, five walks, seven strikeouts and eight stolen bases in 17 game at T-Mobile this season. In 36 career games in Seattle, he’s posted a .299/.331/.578 slash line with five doubles, nine homers, 19 runs scored, 25 RBI, six walks and 16 strikeouts in 128 plate appearance.
He doubled down on that opinion after Tuesday’s win.
“Every time I was an opponent, this is like the first place I couldn’t wait to come to,” he said. “I feel comfortable everywhere, to be honest, but I just really enjoyed playing here coming here as an opponent. I thought it was a super cool stadium. The fans were always electric. I think you see the ball well here, personally. I like the open roof. When the roof is closed, it’s cool. But I love the feeling of the roof open. I don’t know. I just I enjoy playing here.”
Having a player that embraces what has proved to be a difficult hitting environment instead of allowing it to torment his thoughts and change his approach is refreshing, if not needed. It certainly resonates with a fan base that has developed a minor complex about players not wanting to come to Seattle for a variety of reasons, including the home park.
While he didn’t see the sign, he’s felt the love from fans.
“The fans get so excited here,” he said. “They get pumped up in big moments. It’s kind of unexplainable. Sometimes you kind of feel the ground shaking a bit because it’s so loud. Sometimes you can’t hear your own thoughts because it’s so loud. That’s what you want, that’s what you want to play in. I’m very, very grateful, very thankful for this fan base.”
For all the reasons it makes sense to “sign Naylor now,” it isn’t quite so simple.
He will be a free agent for the first time his career after the season. He can, and should, test the market to maximize his value and get some level of stability. He’s been traded five times in his career, so finding a place where he can stay for multiple seasons would be ideal.
The upcoming class of free agent first basemen isn’t deep or settled. Pete Alonso has an opt-out clause with the Mets, which he will likely exercise. The Dodgers have a club option on Max Muncy for 2026, the Brewers will likely decline their mutual option with Rhys Hopkins, and Paul Goldschmidt will be available at age 39.
The Guardians, where Naylor developed into an All-Star first baseman, never approached him about a long-term deal despite his success over five seasons. While it seemed to irritate him, it did not surprise him. He knew the franchise didn’t have the financial resources to invest long-term in multiple players.
The Mariners, despite their actions – or lack thereof – in recent offseasons, could make a viable offer for Naylor. Per MLB sources, it would likely be something higher than the three-year, $60-million deal the Astros gave to Christian Walker, since Naylor is only 28. It wouldn’t be the five-year, $130-million deal that Goldschmidt got from the Cardinals in 2020. Would they do six years at $110 million or five years at $100 million with a vesting six year?
The number of teams that will have a first-base need and are willing to make that sort of commitment is likely limited to the Mets (if they don’t re-sign Alonso), Rangers, Mariners and Yankees.
The odds of getting an extension done before Naylor gets to free agency are slim, but re-signing him as a free agent on the market isn’t an impossibility, if the Mariners are willing to spend.
“Everything happens on god’s time, not my time,” Naylor said a few weeks ago. “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, if it’s not, keep it moving and someone will eventually trust me or want me on their team, knowing how much value I bring to the table with the player I am and the person I am and how I can impact other players. Someone will eventually see that and want that for a long time.”
The Mariners have seen it. Will they make it happen?