Inside The Mariners

Dan Wilson and Julio Rodriguez Comment on Seattle Mariners' Big Roster Move

Julio Rodriguez and Dan Wilson talked about the Mariners trading for Josh Naylor after the team's win against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson (6) looks on during batting practice prior to the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on July 24.
Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson (6) looks on during batting practice prior to the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on July 24. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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The Seattle Mariners made the first of what could end up being multiple trades on Thursday.

The Mariners acquired 2024 All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks in return for minor league pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi.

Seattle followed the news with a 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Naylor, who was traded on an idle day for the Diamondbacks, will report to the M's for Game 2 of the series against the Angels on Friday.

The news of Naylor's trade broke around an hour before first pitch Thursday, and several players and coaches offered their opinion on the move after the game.

"It's exciting," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said after the game. "Josh had a huge series against us when we (played Arizona), so it's great to have that. I think all of us are really excited to get to see him and get to know him and welcome him into a Mariner uniform."

In that series mentioned by Wilson, Naylor had a walk-off, extra-inning grand slam (June 9).

"He's a really good player," Julio Rodriguez said in a postgame interview. "There's no other way around it, he's a really good player. He's got some really good defense and I think what he brings to the table definitely can help the team win and get to where we want to get too. I'm very excited to actually talk to him a little bit more. Every time he plays, he's always locked in. Which is really good to add that to the team. ... Very diverse. He can do a lot of things. He can do the ground balls, he can hit for power. He's a very good, consistent at-bat every time he steps up to the plate."

Naylor has scored 49 runs in 93 games this season and has hit 19 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs with 59 RBIs. He's slashed .292/.360/.447 with an .807 OPS.

The Mariners are 55-48 and currently hold the second card spot in the American League playoff picture.

Related Stories on Seattle Mariners

MARINERS MAKE GOOD DAY BETTER IN 4-2 WIN AGAINST ANGELS: The Mariners capped off an eventful Thursday with a win against their American League West rivals. CLICK HERE

ALL-STAR THIRD BASEMAN STILL TOP PRIORITY FOR MARINERS: The Seattle Mariners are still looking to trade for Eugenio Suarez despite acquiring first-baseman Josh Naylor. CLICK HERE

MARINERS ACQUIRE ALL-STAR FIRST BASEMAN FROM DIAMONDBACKS: The Mariners made their first big splash of the trade deadline and acquired Naylor in return for two minor league pitchers. CLICK HERE

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