Should Seattle Mariners prepare to re-sign Josh Naylor?

New Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor has already started to endear himself to fans in the Pacific Northwest with his play on the field.

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Since playing his first game in a Seattle uniform July 25, the left-handed-hitting Naylor leads the Mariners (minimum five plate appearances) with a 165 wRC+. His .288 average is the best among lineup regulars, as is his .939 OPS. On top of it all, Naylor leads MLB with 11 stolen bases during the stretch.

“Josh Naylor’s been the best hitter for the Mariners since the (All-Star) break in more or less every regard,” ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan said Tuesday during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “… For someone who has much pop as he does, as much slug as he can provide, to just not strikeout (also), it’s a game-changer when you have that in the middle of your lineup.”

Naylor’s addition has filled a glaring hole for the Mariners at first base, which is a position the club hasn’t had a whole lot of success at over the years, especially when it comes to developing talent from within its own system. However, the 28-year-old Naylor looks like he could be the answer there for years to come if he re-signs with Seattle.

Brock and Salk co-host Mike Salk asked Passan what type of contract the free-agent-to-be Naylor will command this offseason.

“I have not done enough research on what first basemen at his age historically get to tell you with any degree of certainty,” Passan said. “Do I think Josh Naylor is a nine-figure player? I do. But I’ve always been a big Josh Naylor fan. I’ve always just thought, this is a ballplayer right here.

“This is a guy who still hits for high average in an era where no one does. This is a guy who can take walks, and get on base, and move a runner over and drive in runs. And let’s not discount his power, either. By the way, he hit 31 home runs last season.”

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The nine-figure total Passan is referring to is the total value of the contract, meaning he could see Naylor getting a multi-year deal worth at least $100 million over its entirety. That would be somewhat against the current trend in baseball that’s seen less of premium being put on first basemen in free agency, with Mets slugger Pete Alonso being the prime example.

“We have to acknowledge that the first-base market for free agents has not been particularly friendly over time. And yet we’re also living in an era where a first baseman is a $500 million player, and that’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,” Passan said. “So for Josh Naylor … a guy who’s still got two years in his 20s when reaching free agency – I get why teams don’t give long-term deals to first basemen – but Josh Naylor and what he can provide seem like the kind of player you want to bring back.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Should Seattle Mariners prepare to re-sign Josh Naylor?

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