The Seattle Mariners are buying lefty-batting first baseman Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks, ESPN stories. Arizona will reportedly get left-hander Brandyn Garcia and right-hander Ashton Izzi again within the deal.
The transfer comes per week earlier than the July 31 Main League Baseball commerce deadline and certain indicators that the Diamondbacks will probably be robust sellers main as much as the date.
The 28-year-old Naylor this season is slashing .292/.360/.447 (124 OPS+) with 11 house runs in 93 video games for Arizona. For his profession, he owns an OPS+ of 114 throughout elements of seven major-league seasons, and over that span he has an OPS of .812 in opposition to right-handed pitching. His first and up to now solely All-Star choice got here in 2024, when he was a member of the Cleveland Guardians.
This season, Naylor is owed the steadiness of a $10.9 million wage and is eligible without spending a dime company this coming offseason. As a result of Naylor has now modified groups through the season, he is ineligible to obtain a qualifying supply heading into the winter.
In Seattle, Naylor figures to displace Luke Raley as the first first baseman — probably in an ongoing platoon association with Donovan Solano — or he might combine and match and likewise see time at DH. Regardless of the specifics, Naylor’s capability to deal with right-handed pitching will probably be a boon to the Seattle offense.
The transfer comes because the Mariners try to stay in wild-card place within the American League and likewise angle to chip away on the Houston Astros’ six-game lead within the AL West. As of Thursday, BetMGM has the Mariners at -200 odds to make the playoffs for the primary time since 2022.
On the Arizona aspect of issues, the 25-year-old Garcia is a former Eleventh-rounder out of Texas A&M. He boasts a giant fastball, and he is gone forwards and backwards between beginning responsibility and reduction work within the minors. This season, although, he is labored completely out of the bullpen, together with a pair of appearances for the Mariners. Izzi, 21, is a former fourth-round prep draftee. Throughout elements of three minor-league seasons, he is put up an ERA of 4.13 in 47 begins with a 1.84 Okay/BB ratio. This season, he is principally struggled within the Excessive-A Northwest League.
As famous above, the Naylor commerce suggests extra is to return from Arizona, who holds a number of the most compelling deadline items. The membership signaled as a lot earlier on Thursday. “I feel it is time for us to be accountable sufficient to enhance our crew with what we’ve got and with that, let’s improve our future,” Corridor mentioned during a radio appearance on Arizona Sports. “Let’s carry in additional property for us. Let’s rebuild that farm system that has gotten higher and higher through the years.
“Will we wish to promote? No. All of us wish to purchase however I feel we’ve got to be sensible and you do not simply make that call on the ultimate day of the deadline. A number of preparation goes into it.”
The D-backs had robust designs on rivalry in 2025, however the lack of ace Corbin Burnes to Tommy John surgical procedure, some again luck, and a few under-performances on the particular person degree have led to their present straits — 5 ½ video games out of playoff place within the robust NL and behind a number of groups. As such, Naylor might be simply the beginning, and the names to observe him out of Arizona determine to be even larger.
