The Seattle Mariners have put themselves in position to chase down a playoff spot and make noise in the postseason.
But in a perfect world, they’d have another strong bat.
That’s where the Arizona Diamondbacks come in. And even if Seattle doesn’t want to shell out top prospects to land Eugenio Suarez, there’s an alternative there.
Arizona will likely also deal first baseman Josh Naylor, who is on an expiring contract. The 250-pound Naylor is in his first year with the Diamondbacks after leaving the Guardians, where he was an energetic, clutch postseason performer.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield predicts that Seattle will land Naylor before the trade deadline.
“Naylor is another of Arizona’s pending free agents and he’ll cost a lot less than Suarez,” Schoenfield writes. “Heck, if the Mariners are willing to take on the salaries — unlikely, although if they offer a strong package of prospects, maybe Arizona kicks in some cash — they could acquire both Naylor and Suarez and build a lethal lineup with Suarez hitting behind Cal Raleigh. Absent that fanciful thinking, Naylor still makes sense as a solid contact hitter for a team that ranks in the bottom 10 of the majors in strikeout rate. Luke Raley can slide to right field or a bench role. The Mariners also need some bullpen depth and perhaps a right-handed bat that would provide an upgrade over Dylan Moore or Donovan Solano, but Naylor would be a nice addition, nonetheless.”
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The Mariners are in a position to go for it. Their rotation can compete with anyone in the league.
Really, they just need to make a lineup move to ensure Raleigh’s historic season doesn’t go to waste.
Getting Naylor would go a long way toward reaching the playoffs and beyond.
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