Seattle analyst says after securing Josh Naylor, the Mariners could have a big offseason
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With recent reports that Josh Naylor was set to re-sign with Seattle for the next five seasons, fans in the Emerald City let out a collective sigh of relief. Already a favorite, he was acquired at the trade deadline, the slugger was immediately respected by teammates, coaches, and the M's paying customers, he was deemed the 'top priority of the off-season' by GM Justin Hollander.
For team management, however, the work has just begun. As Seattle Sports' broadcaster, Mike Salk of the Brock and Salk Show, pointed out: Getting this deal in the books opens up a lot of possibilities for Hollander and team president Jerry Dipoto for the remainder of the Hot Stove League.
“This opens up the entire offseason,” Salk said. “There are so many possibilities that they’re now capable of following up on that they couldn’t do without a first baseman.
“Let’s face it, the first base market this year is brutal. If you don’t have Josh Naylor, there weren’t a lot of other good options. In fact, there might not have been any other good options. So what do you do? You sign the guy that already makes sense for you, and now the opportunities are endless.”
Could Seattle seek a Superstar Starter?
After going through some of Seattle's options, he even suggested the team could attempt to acquire Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. That would likely involve a couple of prominent prospect, a big league outfielder like Victor Robles or Randy Arozarena, and some other considerations
“You want to go after Tarik Skubal or another big-name star pitcher?” Salk said. “You can do that now because your first priority has already been taken care of. You took care of the basics, now you can go big-game hunting.
“Love what this does for the Mariners. Love what it does for their fans. What a wonderful start.”
