Seattle Mariners' offseason opportunities are now 'endless'

The reported re-signing of first baseman Josh Naylor is important for the Seattle Mariners’ future – both in the long term and immediately.

Drayer: What the Mariners’ reported Josh Naylor re-signing means

The long-term part is easy to understand, with Naylor reportedly agreeing to a five-year contract to return to the team who picked him up before the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

Regarding the immediate part, the Mariners getting their stated No. 1 priority of the offseason out of the way early means they can get to business on other aspects of their roster building for 2026.

“This opens up the entire offseason,” Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk said. “There are so many possibilities that they’re now capable of following up on that they couldn’t do without a first baseman.

“Let’s face it, the first base market this year is brutal. If you don’t have Josh Naylor, there weren’t a lot of other good options. In fact, there might not have been any other good options. So what do you do? You sign the guy that already makes sense for you, and now the opportunities are endless.”

Among those opportunities? Perhaps focusing on another reunion with a veteran who was a big part of the lineup in 2025: second baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco, who is also a free agent.

Or maybe the Mariners could take a big swing in a trade. For example, how about the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner who played his college ball at Seattle U?

“You want to go after Tarik Skubal or another big-name star pitcher?” Salk said. “You can do that now because your first priority has already been taken care of. You took care of the basics, now you can go big-game hunting.

“Love what this does for the Mariners. Love what it does for their fans. What a wonderful start.”

Seattle Mariners’ offseason opportunities are now ‘endless’

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