The Seattle Mariners came into this year’s trade deadline looking for an offensive upgrade. They are loaded with pitching but were short on offense.
The team came into play on Thursday at 54-48 and in sole possession of the second American League Wild Card. They were also six games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West.
With their game yet to get underway, they got straight to work on their deadline shopping. A week remains until the final buzzer.
According to Jeff Passan, they have made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“The Seattle Mariners are acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks, sources tell ESPN,” Passan tweeted.
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Naylor was an All-Star last year with the Cleveland Guardians, who traded him to Arizona in the offseason. In exchange for Naylor, Seattle is sending pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi back to Arizona.
The 29-year-old is hitting .292/.360/.447 with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, 11 stolen bases and an .807 OPS. His presence should give Seattle a boost in its lineup down the stretch.
With Naylor in the fold, Seattle has bolstered its chances of at least securing a Wild Card spot, but also potentially closing the gap on the Astros. Seattle has not been to the postseason since their 90-win season in 2022.
This is the first major trade of the deadline, and more will certainly follow over the next week. We’ll see if the Mariners have any more moves coming.
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