Mariners Insider Points Out Potentially Disastrous Josh Naylor X-Factor

Is Naylor fixing to leave?

Oct 16, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) reacts after hitting a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning during game four of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Day after day, the pressure on the Seattle Mariners to keep Josh Naylor increases.

Naylor fit the Mariners like a glove after arriving in a deadline trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He put up an .831 OPS and 2.2 bWAR in the regular season, then proved to be the team's most consistent hitter in October as they made it to the championship series for the first time in 24 years.

Losing a catalyst like that after just three months in town would be a tough pill to swallow for the Mariners, who have struggled offensively at first base for years on end. One insider, meanwhile, believes there's an X-factor at play.

Naylor's ties to Seattle not that strong?

Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) hits a RBI single in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports stated her belief that the Mariners would likely have almost no sentimental or emotional edge in the Naylor sweepstakes, pointing to all the times in his career that the 27-year-old has changed teams.

"He is somebody that I don’t think has been too sentimental to where he has been,” Drayer said on the "Brock and Salk" show. “I talked to him one day about all the different places that he’s been. He lived for a time in Texas – ‘Texas? Why Texas?’ That didn’t add up to anything. There was a great trainer out there, and he said, 'I’ll go anywhere to get better and to get that kind of work.'

“So I really think that he’s kind of a wild card in that situation. I don’t think he’s going to be too sentimental to any one area. I think it’s going to be about what’s best for him professionally and his family.”

The Mariners certainly have the most incentive to sign Naylor. But a surprising number of teams could be in the first-base market this winter, and Drayer doesn't believe the Mariners should be comfortable with their position.

“Is there a possibility that there is a place that he would feel might be better for him? Yes," Drayer continued. "He was here for a short amount of time, and he’s had a lot of time to think about (his free agency). He’s been thinking about this probably for the last two, three years.”

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