Josh Naylor: "Super thankful to be back" with Seattle Mariners

SEATTLE - When it came to the decision by the Seattle Mariners to re-sign first baseman Josh Naylor to a new five-year contract, the choice came down to a simple concept.

Don't mess up a good thing.

The Mariners needed a first baseman. Naylor was the best option available and loved his time in Seattle.

It didn't have to be super complicated.

"I can't express how much fun I had on this team. It was unbelievable, like tears of joy kind of unbelievable," Naylor said. "And, yeah, I just love competing, and competing with this organization was probably one of my favorites I've ever had in my career. So I'm very, very blessed."

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, the deal is worth $92.5 million and comes with a full no-trade clause. It's the largest free agent contract handed out by the Mariners under president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, and the largest since Seattle signed Robinson Canó to a 10-year, $240 million deal in 2013.

But even with that price tag – and for a Mariners franchise that has been stringent with spending in the past – this deal just made too much sense for all involved.

"To me, it would have been negligence if we went into the offseason and the first thing we did was let Josh walk away because of some, you know, business decision, instead of just stepping up and doing the thing that kind of kept the band together," Dipoto said on Tuesday.

"To find exceptional players who are All-Star level, Major League hitters who want to come and hit our ballpark is, you know, that's a rare thing. And, you know, don't be stupid. Find a way to keep him here long-term."

Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander flew down to visit with Naylor at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. during the early stages of free agency across Major League Baseball. The two sides had engaged in preliminary discussions before Naylor hit the market as an unrestricted free agent, but the visit provided clarity for both sides as to what was ahead.

"It went so well that we almost missed our flight on the way back because we just kept talking about the future and about sharing the same vision for what this team could be," Hollander said. "I was blown away by how much thought Josh had put into what was important to him. It was awesome. It was a great time, and we could have stayed hours longer just talking about the Mariners and about the future. And I definitely, I think it helped provide everyone clarity."

Naylor made an immediate impact on the Mariners when he arrived via trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks in late July. Naylor hit .299 with 10 doubles and nine home runs, with 33 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 54 games played for Seattle to finish the regular season. In the playoffs, Naylor was even better. He hit .340 with two doubles and three home runs, with five RBI and two stolen bases in 12 games. His .967 OPS was second on the team to only Cal Raleigh.

But beyond the on-field production, Naylor seamlessly fit into the clubhouse as well. His intense exterior and intelligent play quickly earned respect throughout the clubhouse as he became a key figure in the team's playoff run.

Hollander said that when they realized the news of Naylor's new deal wasn't going to last much longer on Sunday afternoon, he sent a message to the team group chat about their new free agent signing.

"I sent a few players a text letting them know, like, 'hey, we're about to sign a free agent, as long as the physical goes well, please reach out to him.' And I just sent them Josh's contact info, and the text thread erupted. A lot of words I can't repeat on here," Hollander said.

Added Dipoto: "We've been open and communicative with our group. You know, some of them are like members of the front office now. Got some very colorful text messages. Most of them very excited, with a lot of exclamation points. Because they know him, they know that he fits, he's part of what they do."

Naylor could have tried to wait and see if there was more money available as the free agent market progressed. But the chance to return to Seattle was what he wanted and the price was right.

"I think talking to my agent, talking to my family, like we knew where we wanted to go, and we got a deal done at a fair rate that we wanted," Naylor said. "And as much as it is, as great as it is, to get the most you can, I am more than comfortable here. I love this place, I love this fan base, I love this city, I love my teammates, and I'm super thankful to be back.

"I just want to win baseball games. I want to win for the city. I felt like that last loss. You know, not that I had to come back, but I wanted to come back to give this fan base and this city and my teammates and their families a World Series in the next five years, or multiple World Series, or multiple pennants. Like just the best thing I could give back. I want to give back. 

"They deserve it. My teammates deserve it. My family deserves it. Their families deserve it. The head office and their families deserve it. All the coaches deserve it. So I just I had such a blast, I wanted to run it back with these guys and do it all again."

Naylor even gave a shout-out to the team dog, Tucker, as well as a factor in wanting to return.

"When I found out we had Tucker, Tucker was just like he put me over the edge," Naylor said. "Man, I love that little guy. I love feeding him every day and just playing with him whenever I can. So he was a blessing, too."

Naylor getting signed early sets the table for the rest of the offseason for the Mariners. They have holes that they want to address. Re-signing Jorge Polanco as well remains a desired outcome. But having Naylor locked in more clearly defines what the holes are that Seattle has to focus on, and gives them a recruiting tool for the rest of the free agent class to sell players on the road ahead for the Mariners.

"The fact that we got it done in mid-November allows us to go have an offseason that doesn't feel like you're drinking from a fire hose," Dipoto said. "Now we can be selective in the things we want to do, and adding other players, and filling holes we still feel like we need to fill, and we weren't going to do anything until we knew that Josh was back in the fold.

"We want another bat that we can add to that lineup and now we can be selective with where the bat fits, because we can put a team on the field next year that we feel is one of the best in the American League today. But that'll change. Other teams in the American League will start doing things in their offseasons, and it is a bit of an arms race, and we'll try to keep up. But we do have flexibility, we have talent, we have depth in the farm. It's a good time."

Getting Naylor re-signed was easily the most obvious move of the offseason for the Mariners. And everyone involved seemed delighted it got accomplished. After being traded four times in his career, Naylor has a home he can count on for the next five seasons as the Mariners hope they can take the final steps needed to claim a trophy.

"Teammates embraced me right away. Fans embraced me right away. And at the end of the day, they deserve that World Series that we're shooting for here. And I can't thank the fans enough for supporting me as much as they do. I love them, and I hope they love me, and I just go out there and compete for them every single night, and God willing, bring a World Series to this city," Naylor said.

Mariners acquire RHP Alex Hoppe from Red Sox

The Seattle Mariners announced Tuesday night they have acquired left-handed pitcher Alex Hoppe from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor league catcher Luke Heyman.

Hoppe was placed on the Mariners' 40-man roster with left-handed pitcher Tayler Saucedo designated for assignment to clear a roster spot.

Hoppe, 26, finished last season with Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox organization after also playing for Double-A Portland (ME). In 44 minor league appearances last season, Hoppe posted a 1-3 record with a 4.55 ERA with 34 walks and 73 strikeouts over 61 ⅓ innings pitched. With Worcester, Hoppe made 37 appearances with an 0-2 record and 4.76 ERA with 24 walks and 56 strikeouts over 45 ⅓ innings pitched.

Heyman, 22, was a 14th round draft pick by the Mariners out of the University of Florida in the 2025 MLB Draft. Heyman has yet to play professionally and is coming off a season-ending injury with the Gators. He hit .301 with 13 home runs, 44 RBI and 22 walks in 49 games at Florida last season.

Saucedo, 32, appeared in 10 games for the Mariners last season. He had a 7.43 ERA with 11 earned runs in 13 ⅓ innings pitched with six walks and 12 strikeouts. Saucedo has made 115 career appearances over parts of three seasons for Seattle, going 5-2 with four saves and a 4.06 ERA with 47 walks and 93 strikeouts.

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