The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners find themselves in the playoff hunt as the summer approaches, positioning them to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline. While no deals are imminent, it does appear that Seattle and San Francisco are eying a pair of hitters in the National League.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Mariners and Giants” are keeping a close eye on Arizona Diamondbacks‘ first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez. While Arizona hasn’t signaled a willingness to be a seller at the MLB trade deadline to this point, they are reportedly getting a lot of calls.
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Josh Naylor stats (ESPN): .826 OPS, 9 home runs, 48 RBI, .300/.353/.474 in 260 ABs
Naylor, a left-handed hitter, would be a particularly strong fit for San Francisco. Entering MLB games today, the club’s first basemen rank 22nd in OPS (.649) and 26th in batting average (.211) at the position. Meanwhile, the Giants lineup ranks 25th in batting average (.233) and 23rd in slugging (.376) through 71 games.
There’s another appealing factor with Naylor for San Francisco. The 27-year-old is in a contract year – $10.9 million salary in 2025 – meaning the path for Giants’ top prospect Bryce Eldridge to play first base in 2026 wouldn’t be blocked. The acquisition cost for Naylor should also be lower because he’s a half-season rental.
Related: Latest on San Francisco Giants’ approach to MLB trade deadline
Suarez, making $15 million in his contract year, could provide a powerful right-handed bat to the Mariners’ lineup. In 69 games played this season, Seattle’s third basemen have produced a .617 OPS (22nd) with 2 home runs (28th) and 21 RBI (28th).
Eugenio Suarez stats (ESPN): .824 OPS, 20 home runs, 55 RBI, .231/307/.517 in 255 ABs
The Mariners also have plenty of familiarity with Suarez. From 2022-’23, he posted a .234/.327/.423 triple-slash line in Seattle, compiling a .751 OPS with 53 home runs and 183 RBI in 312 games played. For a club that wants to challenge the Houston Astros for an AL West crown, Suarez could be a significant difference-maker for a lineup in need of more sources of run production.
NFL, MLB & college football writer for Sportsnaut. Graduated from San Diego State University with BA in Journalism, 2019. … More about Matt Johnson
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