Josh Naylor is the First Big Free Agent to Sign, Returns to Seattle

The Seattle Mariners made the first significant news of the young offseason on Sunday night, inking first baseman Josh Naylor to a five-year contract. Naylor, acquired at last season’s deadline, quickly became a fan favorite in Seattle, and the fit was simply too good to see him go.

After joining the Mariners, Naylor went on to slash .299/.341/.490 with nine home runs and also played a crucial role in the playoff run. Seattle has been looking for their long-term answer at first and worked quickly to ensure Naylor was locked up before addressing any other offseason needs.

What it Means for Seattle

I’m not sure if I will explain this well, but it felt like Naylor had to return to Seattle. After joining the team post-trade deadline, he immediately gave the team a spark on the field and in the clubhouse. An energy and bulldog mentality that helped the Mariners’ identity of grinding out every at-bat.

You could just tell that the fan base needed a guy like Naylor, who meshes so well with the current structure of the lineup.

He was the deadline spark that helped lift the team to playoff success and gave the front office and team everything they could have asked for. The exact way to start what could be an active offseason for the Mariners.

Deadline fits aren’t always as seamless as this one, and when they are, you find a way to keep them around.

Now, Seattle returns the top four of Randy Arozarena, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Josh Naylor. A well-balanced and imposing top half of the lineup, which blends power, on-base, and baserunning that will generate plenty of runs.

Bringing Naylor back right now obviously eliminates a hole at first and the need for a middle-of-the-order lefty, but it also helps the Mariners address needs with more certainty. Trying to negotiate with other free agents while also going back and forth with your internal top priority can get messy.

In terms of budget, you have one more piece of information. Another number that helps clarify what is left, and what needs have to be addressed in the coming months. Getting this deal out of the way shifts focus towards addressing Jorge Polanco or other outside additions.

Also, the signing is an indication to other free agents that the Mariners are ready to be aggressive. Players looking to join a contender will not have any reason to believe Seattle is not a destination, although there were not many signs of that previously.

Now, does bringing Naylor back impact the decision on Jorge Polanco?

The roster spot is still available as is the need. The question is, will the money match?

I highly doubt Seattle would want to give Polanco anything more than a two-year deal, so if he wants the security, he may have to look elsewhere.

The reasonable possibilities in the free agent market might not be a large enough upgrade over what you think Polcano can be to justify the money and term it might take to land them. But Seattle has the ammunition to pull off a big trade, such as bringing Ketel Marte back.

A different discussion for a different day.

Ownership and the Front Office Get a Win

Mariners fans had grown sick of losing. Missing the playoffs and seeing good players become great elsewhere, all while swapping different excuses for why it was not different. Being in the rumors for top free agents but not landing many has put pressure on ownership and the front office, leading into this past season.

Jerry Dipoto’s comments about building a team that wins 54% of the time did not help his reputation, either. Mariners fans have been asking for more and more out of their front office, and this season they had a chance to start changing the narrative – and they did.

Adding both Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor was the splash move that showed fans the Mariners can operate like the top dogs. Showing that settling for good enough and relying on luck was no longer the standard.

The trade deadline was the first step to proving that this would be different. A necessary step, but not the biggest one they will have to take. In fact, each next step will grow bigger and bigger.

Bringing back the guy who took your offense to another level and fits like a glove was the next step.

Many fans were still scared and hesitant due to years of disappointment and were preparing to once again be let down. But the Mariners did what made sense, what the team needed, and what the fans wanted, a rare win-win-win scenario.

Now, the praise will only last so long. Seattle still has its work cut out for them, as filling the other holes on this roster is no cakewalk.

How the front office navigates the trade and free agent market to continue building on this roster and solidify a team good enough to make another deep playoff run will be crucial.

You have the fans, hell, the whole city, engaged to a level that Seattle has not seen in many, many years.

Capitating on that and pushing past what has become the standard offseason will truly show fans that things have changed. The way fans feel right now can feel a whole lot different in February if the offseason momentum comes to a halt.

The opportunity to create something truly special in Seattle is there. Will the front office take it? Time will tell.