Mariners Raise Eyebrows With Comments On Josh Naylor Pursuit

The Seattle Mariners are saying all of the right things when it comes to free agent slugger Josh Naylor.

The Mariners clearly enjoyed Naylor's brief stint with the team down the stretch after the trade deadline. Naylor slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine homers, 33 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 54 games to go along with an .831 OPS.

Naylor was the slugger that the Mariners have been looking for at first base. He's a free agent now, though. But, the Mariners clearly want him back. On Thursday, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said that bringing back Naylor is the Mariners' No. 1 priority, as transcribed by MLB.com's Daniel Kramer.

"Free agency officially kicked off on Thursday, and Justin Hollander came out swinging big in an interview with MLB Network Radio a few hours before it officially opened," Kramer said. "Specifically, the Mariners’ general manager was asked about Josh Naylor -- who as of 2 p.m. PT was free to sign with any team -- and where the first baseman stands in Seattle’s plans.

The Mariners should absolutely do the right thing with Josh Naylor

Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates with first baseman Josh Naylor (12) after hitting a home run in the fifth 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

“It was a great fit and it’s definitely a priority for us this offseason -- if not one, I don’t know what else would be, he’s No. 1 right now,” Hollander said as transcribed by Kramer.

If you're a Mariners fan, this is the type of message you likely want to see right now. Naylor is an All-Star and had a clear and positive impact on the Mariners down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Seattle proved as well that this club is worth investing in and can have a lot of success. The Mariners were one win away from making it to the World Series. The team they lost to, the Toronto Blue Jays, pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers all the way to Game 7 in the World Series as well.

The Mariners and Blue Jays were pretty evenly matched, which shows how close they truly were to their goals. Naylor was a big part of that and it's good that they are publicly saying that they want to bring him back.

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