Josh Naylor Inks 5-Year Contract to Kick Off MLB Free Agency
The 2026 MLB Free Agency has officially gotten kicked off and first baseman Josh Naylor is the first notable name to ink a contract. While free agent signings for a player who had an expiring contract has officially been open since five days after the 2025 World Series, no other notable names have signed as of yet.
Let’s take a deeper dive into where Josh Naylor will be playing going forward and what it means for both him and the remaining first baseman free agents this offseason.
Josh Naylor Staying with the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have decided to keep Josh Naylor as the two sides have agreed to a massive five-year deal with the money not announced yet, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Naylor was traded to the team as a rental from the Arizona Diamondbacks and performed well with a .831 OPS in 54 games after being dealt.
However, he really stepped up his game in the postseason as the first baseman posted a .340/.392/.574 slashline with three home runs, five RBI, seven runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases without being caught. That production will keep him with the Mariners for the next half-decade.
Seattle still has four unrestricted free agents they will need to make a decision on as backup catcher Mitch Garver, third baseman Eugenio Suarez, second baseman Jorge Polanco, and reliever Caleb Ferguson are all no longer under contract. With a loaded first baseman market, getting a deal done early certainly helps both sides out.
With names like Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger, Rhys Hoskins, and Paul Goldschmidt headlining the available players at first base, getting Josh Naylor to stay in Seattle seems like a great choice for both sides going forward. This appears to show the Mariners are looking to remain competitive and that Naylor enjoyed his time in the northwest.
Seattle can still be involved in the 2026 free agency period after this deal as they have about $30 million coming off their books from last season in the four free agents from the team. It will be interesting to see if the Mariners are going to remain aggressive after winning the AL West to improve through signings or if they will be involved in some trades with notable names on the roster.
