There is a new name to consider for a potential Seattle Mariners move this offseason.

MLB Network insider Jon Morosi reported on social media Thursday that All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor was mentioned “in trade discussions” the Mariners have had with the Cleveland Guardians.

Sources: Josh Naylor has been mentioned in trade talks between the Guardians and Mariners. He is one of several names the Mariners are considering for an offensive upgrade at 1B.@MLBNetwork @SeattleSports

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 19, 2024

The Mariners have clear needs in their lineup and open spots in their infield to fill them, so Naylor makes perfect sense as a potential target for Seattle.

Naylor, 27, is a left-handed hitter who made his first All-Star team in 2024. He finished the year with a career-high 31 home runs and 108 RBIs and a slash line of .243/.320/.456 for an OPS of .776 and an fWAR of 1.5 in 152 games. The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Canadian got off to a great start last season, posting a .922 OPS with 12 home runs in his first 41 games.

Naylor’s best season in terms of fWAR was 2023, when he finished with a 2.5 mark after slashing .308/.354/.489 for an .842 OPS with 17 home runs, 97 RBIs, 31 doubles and 10 stolen bases had.

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In 2023, Naylor was fifth in the American League in batting average and 10th in the AL in home runs in 2024. He also ranked eighth in RBIs in 2023 and sixth in 2024.

Although he is primarily a first baseman, Naylor has played a total of 145 games in right and left field in the major leagues, although those outfield appearances largely occurred prior to 2023.

The Mariners’ options at first base are currently slim, led by Luke Raley, who played 41 games at the position in 2024 but is primarily an outfielder. Seattle has been linked this offseason to veteran first basemen Justin Turner and Carlos Santana, both of whom are free agents and have had successful stints with the M’s in recent years.

According to Spotrac, Naylor will make an estimated $14.2 million in 2025, his final year of arbitration eligibility before entering free agency for the first time.

In his final seasons with Cleveland, he played alongside his brother, catcher Bo Naylor. She and her third brother, Athletics prospect Myles Nayor, were all selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, with Josh Naylor being the trio’s highest pick as the No. 12 overall pick in 2015 by the Miami Marlins.

Naylor is no stranger to being involved in big deals. In 2016, he was sent from Miami to San Diego along with current Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo in a six-player deal. And in 2020, the Padres traded him to Cleveland as part of a nine-player trade.

He broke into the majors with San Diego in 2019 at the age of 22 and played his first full MLB season with the Guardians in 2022.

Naylor made a good impression at T-Mobile Park in Seattle in early 2024, hitting his first home run of the year in the series opener on April 1. That was part of a 7-for-19 start with three hits for extra bases in the opening five games of Cleveland’s season.

The trade route appears to be the most likely way for the Mariners to improve their offense, and the aforementioned Castillo has emerged in recent trade rumors as a player that Seattle is reportedly listening to offers on. Additionally, MLB President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto spoke during MLB’s annual winter meetings earlier this month about the team being “very aggressive” when it comes to the high-end prospects of its top-ranked farm system.

MLB Network Insider Jon Morosi is a weekly guest on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. Listen to his conversation with hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton on Wednesday’s podcast at this link or in the player below.

Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• Drayer’s Notebook: GM talks Mariners’ offseason development
• Seafarers’ needs have not changed, but the path to meeting them is unclear
• Seattle Mariners have a new minor league affiliate team
• Morosi addresses the idea that the Mariners could trade Castillo for Boston’s Casas
• Who could the Seattle Mariners take with the No. 3 pick in the MLB Draft?

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