The Fate of Josh Naylor
Mariners' fans are still mourning over the loss in Game 7 of the ALCS and in the wake of devastation we are left contemplating the fate of first baseman Josh Naylor. Seattle acquired Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 24th, 2025, one week prior to the trade deadline. Arizona acquired LHP Brandyn Garcia (No. 13 prospect) and RHP Ashton Izzi (No. 16 prospect) in the deal.
The mariners also traded Arizona first baseman Tyler Locklear (No. 9 prospect), RHP Hunter Cranton and RHP Juan Burgos in return for third baseman Eugenio Suárez who previously played for Seattle from 2022-2023. These trades were what Seattle needed to push them to the top of their division while playing a key part in forcing the Houston Astros out of the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Is it possible to keep them both?
Unfortunately, it appears the likelihood of keeping both Naylor and Suárez is small and Mariners fans are left speculating what the correct answer could be. Many think the best decision is to Keep Josh Naylor at all costs meaning Seattle would have to free up capital which would likely come by parting ways with the veteran third baseman.
This would not be the hit to the team that it may seem as they could replace Suárez with Ben Williamson who played 85 games in his rookie season before being replaced by Eugenio on July 31st. Wiliamson posted a .253 Batting Average and .604 OPS in 277 At Bats during the 2025 season. There is definitely room for growth, but he has the team and coaching staff around him to be a viable option for the position.
Williamson, however, is not the only option Seattle has as their No. 1 prospect Colt Emmerson was promoted to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on September 15th. Colt played 130 games for three different teams in 2025 with 506 At Bats. He recorded 144 Hits, 82 Runs, 78 RBI and 16 home runs throughout the season which will not be overlooked in the search for third. Mariners will also be looking at several free agents including Alex Bregman and Yoán Moncada.
What else to expect
Another cause of concern for Mariners fans comes in the form of second baseman Jorge Polanco who will also become a free-agent at the conclusion of the World Series. Although it is unclear where the organization stands at this time on prioritizing Polanco, they do have options in replacing him with Cole Young and Ryan Bliss.
Bliss was traded to the Mariners from the Diamondbacks at the deadline in 2023 with outfielder Dominic Canzone and utility player Josh Rojas for Reliever Paul Sewald. He has been strong at second during spring training and in the Minors and made his MLB debut on May 27th, 2024, for Seattle but was optioned back to the Tacoma on July 22nd of the same year. He opened the 2025 season as the Mariners starting second baseman but was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 9th after tearing his left bicep swinging at a Framber Valdez pitch the day before. At first it was disclosed Bliss would miss four to five months due to the injury but on September 8th it was reported that he had undergone a season-ending surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee. This leaves the 25-year-olds fate with the team uncertain.
With Polanco unable to perform at second due to his own injury and being utilized as a designated hitter for a majority of the 2025 season the Mariners relied heavily of Utility Player Dylan Moore before calling up prospect Cole Young from the Tacoma Rainiers. Cole Made his MLB debut on May 31st as Seattle's Second baseman. He got the game winning RBI in his first game but struggled to perform the remainder of his first week. Young came back around and batted .281/.361/.399 from June 7th to August 15th before hitting another slump at the end of the season and ultimately being replaced by a healthy Polanco. We won't be certain of anyone's fate until after the World Series
but we can be certain that the Mariners front office will be focused on building off the momentum from the 2025 season.
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