Well, there it is. A mere two weeks after the conclusion of the World Series and we’ve got the first major free-agent signing of MLB’s off-season.
The Seattle Mariners reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with first baseman Josh Naylor on Monday. The Mississauga, Ont., native was acquired by the M’s at the July trade deadline — and the pairing worked out perfectly down the stretch and into the post-season.
Now, Naylor gets the opportunity to find comfort in one spot after playing for three organizations over the past 13 months, while Seattle general manager Justin Hollander can move forward after taking care of a key piece of off-season business.
Here’s a closer look at the signing:
The deal
Naylor and the Mariners have officially agreed to a five-year, $92.5-million contract with a full no-trade clause, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The runners up
It’s unclear what the market for Naylor looked like as this deal came together ahead of MLB’s Winter Meetings and before the hot stove even got a chance to warm up. The Cincinnati Reds, who reportedly tried to acquire Naylor at the July trade deadline, could have made sense, given manager Terry Francona’s history with the veteran during their time in Cleveland.
The Reds appeared to be a fit on paper, along with the Boston Red Sox and possibly the New York Mets, if free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso moved on.
The player
Naylor, 28, is a left-handed hitting first baseman with some pop. He’s coming off his best season in terms of bWAR (3.1) and his 162-game average over his seven-year career includes 23 home runs, 32 doubles and 95 RBIs. Naylor also provides strong defence, according to advanced metrics, but perhaps his strongest skillsets are his baseball acumen and clubhouse influence.
The Canadian is said to be an excellent teammate and has a reputation for being among the most heady players in the game. That’s evidenced by his 30 stolen bases in 2025, a feat he surprisingly accomplished despite being one of baseball’s slowest players.
"He's just a really, really smart baseball player," Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement said ahead of the ALCS matchup with the Mariners in October.
Clement played with Naylor in Cleveland and the two became close friends.
"Him stealing bases is not surprising to me,” said Clement. “Yeah, I know a lot of people are like, 'Oh, he's not the fastest guy in the world. How is he stealing these bases?’ But his anticipation and how he slows the game down is impressive.”
Naylor’s contract will take him through his prime and into his age-33 season. It figures to be a smart investment for a Mariners club that’s already seen the benefits of what Naylor provides.
The fit
Needing to inject life into its lineup in the summer, Seattle acquired Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez in separate deals with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Naylor responded well to the trade, was vocal about how much he enjoyed playing in Seattle and his grinder style quickly endeared him to the Mariners’ faithful.
The results were there, too, as the first baseman hit .299/.341/.490 with nine homers, 10 doubles and 32 runs scored across 54 regular-season games with Seattle. He produced 2.2 wins above replacement during that span and was an even bigger contributor during the post-season.
Naylor tormented his hometown Blue Jays in the championship series, hitting .417 with three homers over seven games.
"He's got the power but he's kind of a pest at the same time," said Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw, who also played with Naylor in Cleveland. “So, he's just a complete hitter and I've seen him ruin a lot of guys throughout the years.”
The market
MLB Trade Rumors predicted that Naylor would receive a five-year, $90 million deal. The term is correct, and the dollar figure was just $2.5 million off.
The next domino
Naylor’s signing won’t impact the market of some of the big fish such as Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette. However, it could shine more of a spotlight on Alonso, the other prime free agent first baseman.
