Mariners and Guardians have talked about Josh Naylor

As the Mariners look for upgrades to their first base this winter, they have had some discussions with the Guardians about it Josh Naylorper Jon Morosi of MLB Network. There are no signs that the two parties are in any advanced negotiations, but the match is for an M’s club looking to improve its offense and a Guardians squad that has been open to offers for Naylor and the outfielder, completely natural Lane Thomas at the start of her final season as club leader.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz predicts the 27-year-old Naylor will make $12 million next season before hitting free agency next winter. He just posted a career-high 31 home runs and a batting line of .243/.320/.456 (118 wRC+) with a 9.2% walk rate and just a 16.6% strikeout rate. The Mariners have been vocal about their desire to reduce their team-wide strikeout rate over the past year. Increasing hitting power while simultaneously reducing strikeout rates are often at odds with one another, but Naylor is the type of hitter who can help them achieve both goals at the same time.

A trade of Naylor to a Cleveland club that just re-signed Shane Bieber and clearly aiming to compete in 2025 may seem counterproductive at first glance, but the constant balancing act of trading top-notch veterans for young talent while trying to field a winning club is nothing new for the Guards. They just unloaded Andres Gimenez and his contract, which was a three-team trade that included a hard-throwing right-hander Luis Ortiz from Pittsburgh to Cleveland. This brought the expected payroll down to around $97 million, according to RosterResource. Losing Naylor would reduce that value to $85 million as the clock opens Kyle Manzardo at first base (and perhaps free up more room for some smaller free-agent additions).

At the same time, it should be noted that a move from Naylor is not a given. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic recently wrote that he felt a trade for the hard-hitting first baseman was becoming less likely as the guards were unimpressed with offers from other clubs. (A single text message or call can change that, of course.) Understandably, Cleveland isn’t going to move a player of Naylor’s skill set just to clear payroll; They need to feel like they’re getting legitimate value in return – especially since the then-28-year-old Naylor, with a season comparable to his 2022-24 performances, will be a qualified offer candidate next offseason.

For the Mariners, Naylor would provide a boost to a club that saw it Justin Turner Reach free agency at the end of the season. Turner was the club’s primary first baseman last year after a deadline trade brought him to Seattle. The M’s have Luke Raley as an option at first base, but could also move into the outfield and as a designated hitter. Outlook Tyler Locklear is ready for a big league gig, but a postseason hopeful like the Mariners might not want to simply cede first base to an inexperienced 24-year-old who hit a league-average .156/.224 in Triple-A last season hit /.311 with a 41% strikeout rate in his first 49 MLB plate appearances.

The M’s also have interest in bringing in either Turner or a veteran Carlos Santana back to Seattle. (Santana played with the M’s in 2023.) The team’s top priority right now appears to be improving first base and then adding help at either third or second base – likely the former. Internal options like Dylan Moore, Ryan Bliss and (eventually) top views Cole Young could be considered at second base if the end result is an upgrade in both corners.

Naylor’s projected salary likely fits within the Mariners’ reported budget — about $15 million to spend, give or take, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times — but likely leaves no room for another significant addition. The Mariners would certainly like to find a way to get rid of Mitch Haniger 15.5 million USD in 2025) and/or Mitch Garver ($12.5 million in 2025), but either would be a tall order. The existence of these cumbersome contracts, coupled with a second offseason marked by a tight ownership budget, make another round of trades from the always-active Seattle front office more likely than a series of free agent splashes aimed at an offense yet again struggled to produce in an extremely pitcher-friendly environment.