Arizona Diamondbacks’ Selloff Begins With Naylor Deal To Seattle

An Arizona Diamondbacks’ team that was built for 2025 has turned toward the future.

The Diamondbacks’ expected trade deadline selloff of their walk-year players began Thursday night, although perhaps not in the order it was envisioned.

While power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez remains their leading trade chip, first baseman first baseman Josh Naylor became the first to go when he was dealt to Seattle on Thursday night, according to several reports.

For Naylor, who will be the Mariners’ starting first baseman, the D-Backs received pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi. Garcia, who was promoted to the major leagues last week, was the Mariners’ 13th-rated prospect, according to MLB.com. Izzi, still in Class A, was the 16h.

The haul may not appear overwhelming, but the Diamondbacks had limited leverage with Naylor, quite a bit less than they will have with their other available potential free agents — Suarez, right-handed starters Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, outfielder Randal Grichuk and reliever Shelby Miller.

Naylor, playing on a one-year, $10.9 million expiring contract, is eligible for free agency after the season, and the D-backs were very unlikely to tender him a qualifying offer, a move that would have bound him to them in 2026. The qualifying offer last year was $21.05 million. The Mariners are picking up the prorated $3.8 million of his 2025 salary.

The market for first baseman, unlike that at third base or anywhere in a pitching staff, was not robust, inasmuch as contenders seem content with what they have. To get Naylor to replace free agent Christian Walker, the D-Backs traded right-hander Slade Cecconi to Cleveland last winter.

Naylor Gives the Mariners Another Big Bat

General manager Jerry Dipoto took some heat for not adding more than Randy Arozarena to the roster at the 2024 trade deadline, but this move is a clear indicator that the M’s are going all in.

Naylor is a proven run-producer, and his addition gives the Mariners a formidable group behind leadoff man J.P. Crawford.

No. 2 hitter Julio Rodriguez is on pace for another 20 home run/20 stolen base season and No. 3 hitter catcher Cal Raleigh is having an historic offensive season at his position.

Randy Arozarena, who has hitting cleanup much of the season, is hitting .300 with 11 homers in the last 22 games. A left-handed hitter, Naylor seems most likely to slot in at fourth or fifth with Jorge Polanco and/or Luke Raley, if he returns to the outfield, to follow.

The Mariners platooned Rowdy Tellez, who made the team on a minor league contract this spring, and Donovan Solano at first while Raley was injury. Raley has seen the majority of the time there since he returned in late June.

Naylor is hitting .292 with 11 home runs, 59 RBIs and 49 strikeouts in 394 plate appearances. He was an All-Star for Cleveland in 2024, when he had career highs with 31 homers and 108 RBIs. He had 68 homers and 284 RBIs with an OPS+ of 125 as a regular in 2022-24.

Diamondbacks Begin to Plug Pitching Holes

The D-Backs’ season slowly went south after a series of debilitating pitching injuries in early June, and because of that general manager Mike Hazen told reporters during the All-Star break that he expected to target young pitching in in any deal.

The most costly injury, of course, was the loss of top starter Corbin Burnes to a right elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Not only will Burnes missed the rest of this season, but he is likely to miss a major portion of 2027.

The D-backs signed Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract over the winter, and he is to earn $32 million in mostly idle salary next season. He has an opt-out clause after 2026, but the lack of recovering time might preclude him from testing the free agent market again.

Closer candidates Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk also suffered elbow injuries this season, and Martinez also underwent an elbow surgery that is likely to keep him out for much of 2026.

The D-backs are likely to lose Kelly and Gallen before the July 31 trade deadline, and they could consider Garcia, 25, as a starting candidate next season based on his strong work in 2023, when he 6-2 with a 2.25 ERA at two levels, peaking at Double-A Arkansas.

The Mariners, deep in starters, converted him to relief this year. He has made two major league appearances this season in relief. Izzi, a fourth-round darter pick in 2022, has spent all three minor league seasons as a starter, topping out at High-A Everett this season.