One Year Later, Diamondbacks' Josh Naylor Trade Looks Like Big Win

For many reasons, it's always better to be a buyer than a seller at the Trade Deadline. The Arizona Diamondbacks have done both in recent years.

2025's deadline stands out as one of the more painful in recent memory, as Arizona stumbled out of the All-Star break and opted to auction off nearly every pending free agent.

Some of those trades looked better than others at the time of the deal, while others have aged in a more favorable light. The Josh Naylor trade with the Seattle Mariners is one of the latter such deals.

Revisiting the Josh Naylor trade

Jul 11, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (14) slides to first base during the second inning against Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The deal, at the time, sent Naylor to Seattle in exchange for the Mariners' No. 13 and 16 prospects — left-handed reliever Brandyn Garcia and right-handed starter prospect Ashton Izzi.

And immediately following the trade, it looked rough for Arizona. Naylor, who was already on pace for one of his better career seasons, had an excellent final portion of 2025 with Seattle and was instrumental in their playoff run. He hit .299/.341/.490 over 54 regular season games as a Mariner.

Meanwhile, Garcia had a tough time finding his footing in the majors, with a 5.84 ERA in his short major league stint. Izzi spent 2025 in High-A.

Fast forward to July 24, 2026 — exactly one year from the time of this trade, and the tables have turned.

Josh Naylor trade paying off for Diamondbacks one year later

Jul 20, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandyn Garcia (55) throws in the ninth inning against the Athletics at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Naylor's excellent 2025 earned him an extension with the Mariners. He's signed on through at least 2030 on a $92.5 million deal. So far, he hasn't quite been worth that this season. He's slashing .261/.323/.359 with eight homers for a 99 wRC+ (just a tick below league average).

It would not be a shock to see Naylor, who has tended to perform stronger in high-stakes environments, boost those numbers significantly as the Mariners battle for a playoff spot. But the Diamondbacks are getting exactly what they needed out of this deal without having to spend nearly $100 million.

Garcia, who struggled immensely in spring training, has rounded out into one of the D-backs' most effective bullpen weapons. He's pitching to a 1.69 ERA, 1.88 expected ERA and 1.87 FIP.

He's corralled his walk problem to the tune of a 6.1% walk rate while punching batters out just over 30% of the time. He's been elite as the only left-hander in the Diamondbacks' bullpen when throwing strikes. Regression could certainly strike, but his results are not fake.

The only concern with Garcia the possibility of his command vanishing, which has happened on occasion, but not nearly as often as it used to.

Izzi, meanwhile, has quietly risen through the ranks of the farm system. He was recently promoted to Triple-A Reno after a strong 4.23 ERA (well above average for the offense-heavy Texas League) stretch in Double-A. He was knocked around in his first start for the Reno Aces, but he's just 22 years old and has shown consistent growth.

In all likelihood, this deal will even out a bit as Naylor improves and Garcia runs into some inevitable relief volatility. Right now, it looks like a win for both teams, even with the rough first half Naylor is having.

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