Naylor Rented for Cheap; How High Will the Mariners Buy?

Since Kyle Seager’s retirement—some detractors may argue even before that—the Mariners have struggled to find reliable long-term solutions at first and third base. Having traded away two prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks in return for Josh Naylor on July 24, the Mariners gain a left-handed batter who gets on base and brings power to an already home run-happy lineup. He may be a rental à la Justin Turner in 2024, but the Mariners sacrificed little by way of prospects for a bona fide upgrade to the lineup.

In addition to Justin Turner, who moved on to the Cubs following the ultimately failed experiment, the Mariners also bought low in Randy Arozarena, who was swapped for two prospects and the ever-popular player to be named later. He’s since had a breakout year, including an outstanding 12-game hot streak that earned him a bid to the 2025 All-Star Game.  

With the rise of Cal Raleigh and support coming from seemingly different spots in the lineup on a regular basis, the Mariners’ otherworldly starting pitching and bullpen numbers have waned slightly. Long-term contracts for stars Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez seem to indicate the window in which general manager Jerry Dipoto expects the Mariners to be competitive is fully open. Enter Josh Naylor…and who else?

Eugenio Suarez, 3B

Buying high after you’ve sold low is never fun, but if you want good vibes, look no further. Baseball should be fun, and Suarez gets it. If you’ve ever seen him after a walk-off hit—his own or a teammate’s—he is right in the thick of it, all smiles and jumping all over his comrades. If he’s not laughing in the dugout, he’s playfully throwing buckets of bubble gum and dying his hair—looking a little bit Cruella de Ville once upon a time.

Below are the stats of Eugenio Saurez and his hit chart for 2025. He leads MLB in RBIs and is near the top in HRs, Slugging and OPS.

*Max in each category is based on players on active roster. Aaron Judge is on DL so he is not on an active roster at the moment.

Why we like him?

Since he left the Mariners, his numbers have been nothing short of All-Star caliber. With nearly 60 games remaining in the season, he’s one of five legitimate contenders for the home run title. He could very well lead the league in RBIs ahead of the two front-runners for American League Most Valuable Player: former teammate and current Mariner Cal Raleigh and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge.

Why not?

Much like Teoscar Hernandez, who played a key role for the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series with reliable power from the right side of the plate, neither Suarez nor Hernandez saw great success hitting at T-Mobile Park, which has proven to be common for right-handed hitters. Breaking the two-century mark in strikeouts in his second season in Seattle, Suarez may be better suited for a more righty-friendly ballpark. If he were to return to Seattle, he would all but kiss the home run title goodbye. On July 28, Suarez was removed from a game after taking a 96 mph fastball to the hand, but x-rays came back negative and his recovery is expected to be day to day.

Luis Robert, CF

The Mariners aren’t hurting for outfield depth come September, when right fielder Victor Robles should return from injury. Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez are firmly entrenched in left and center field, respectively, and a platoon headed by Dominic Canzone in right field. But Luis Robert has the physical tools to be a superstar, so a fan can dream. Dipoto seems to love buying low, and .206 hitting Robert is a perfect candidate in that case.

Why we like him?

Robert was an All-Star in his 5.3 WAR 2023 season. While that was his only 20 home run-20 stolen base season thus far, six years into his career, he’s only 26 years old—knocking on the potential door of his prime baseball-playing years.

Why not?

See Eugenio Suarez above. T-Mobile Park has proven to be unkind to right-handed hitters who strike out on an above average basis. And unlike Suarez, the vibes are unclear with Robert, which is understandable given some of his struggles at the plate over the past two seasons. A change of scenery may be in order, but Seattle might not be the best landing spot to get right. He may still be young in baseball years, but he’s shown signs of improving his discipline since his astronomically high 41.5% whiff rate in his rookie season in 2020.

Nolan Arenado, 3B/DH

Another buy-low candidate that may have been sexy two years ago, Arenado is a veteran bat with a serviceable defensive skillset at a barren position in the free-agency market. The St. Louis Cardinals seem interested in offloading him, but the eight-time All Star has a no-trade clause that could complicate any deal.

Why we like him?

He’s only three years removed from a 7.9 WAR season—which led the National League—and a career .282 hitter. Even if he’s just an experienced bat to insert into the lineup when convenient or a mentor for Mariners’ rookie third-baseman Ben Williamson, veteran presence rarely hurts.

Why not?

Seemingly in the twilight of his career, in recent years his bat has lacked the power you typically expect from your corner infielders. T-Mobile Park might not give him the opportunity to rekindle any fire in his bat. He’s locked into his contract through 2027, so there’s a much higher risk at play for a conservative front office that may rightly want to steer clear of long-term big money commitments.

-Evan Franklin

Like this Article? Sign up for our FREE Weekly Newsletter: The Grand Salami Times

Photography credits:

Nolan Arenado: Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Luis Robert Jr: (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

Eugenio Suárez: (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)