Josh Naylor and the Mariners agreed to a five-year contract in what is the first major splash of this year’s MLB free agency, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Seattle made it a top priority to keep Naylor in the organization after acquiring him at the trade deadline in a deal with the Diamondbacks. He played a key part in the team’s run to the ALCS, their longest stay in the postseason in franchise history, and now he’ll be sticking around for at least another five seasons.
Naylor played in 54 games for the Mariners after the mid-season trade. He slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, racking up an impressive 2.2 bWAR in that span. He was also a key postseason contributor. In October, Naylor had 16 hits in 12 games and recorded three home runs and five RBIs.
The financial terms of Naylor’s new contract with the Mariners have not yet been reported.
Naylor likely had plenty of suitors in free agency, but Seattle moved quickly to ensure they were able to keep him in town. He immediately emerged as a fan-favorite at T-Mobile Park, and he’ll now be part of a formidable lineup alongside Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez for the foreseeable future.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Josh Naylor Set to Return to Mariners on New Five-Year Contract.
