Trade Details:
Mariners receive:
- 1B Josh Naylor
Diamondbacks receive:
- LHP Brandyn Garcia
- RHP Ashton Izzi
After losing three straight and getting swept by Houston this week, Arizona has seemingly thrown in the towel on the season. Sitting at 50-53 and 5.0 GB in the NL Wild Card chase, they felt they’d be better off making a push next season and beyond.
For Seattle (55-48, 5.0 GB in AL West, +0.5 AL WC), Naylor brings a strong left-handed bat that mashes righties to a team with postseason aspirations.
Why Seattle Made This Move
Josh Naylor, 1B (Age 28, FA after 2025)
- .292/.360/.447, 11 HR, 59 RBI
- .348 wOBA, 123 wRC+
- 9.4% BB%, 12.4% K%
According to FanGraphs, Seattle ranks 17th in wRC+ (104) and 18th in wOBA (.310) at 1B this season. Those numbers aren’t bad, but they’re below what’s expected from a traditionally bat-heavy position.
For Arizona, Naylor has slashed .292/.360/.447 in 394 plate appearances, hitting 11 home runs and driving in 59 RBI. He ranks 13th among qualified hitters with a 12.4% strikeout rate (K%), coupled with an impressive 9.4% walk rate (BB%). With Naylor, Seattle is getting a disciplined hitter.
Naylor brings most of his value against right-handed pitching:
- .310/.390/.493 slash line
- .378 wOBA and 144 wRC+
- More walks (11.7% BB%) than strikeouts (10.9%)
At a ballpark like T-Mobile Park in Seattle, the shorter right field porch gives lefties a greater ability to produce in the extremely pitcher-friendly park.
What Arizona Is Getting in Return
Arizona’s getting two young arms in return for a half-season rental of Josh Naylor.
Brandyn Garcia, LHP, Age 25
Garcia is a 6’4” left-hander the Mariners drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 Draft out of Texas A&M. He’s been used as a reliever this year in Double- and Triple-A, making 32 appearances across both levels (24 at AA), pitching to a 3.51 ERA, while striking out 28.2% and walking 11.4%. He features two pitches, a sinker and slider, and has been very effective at promoting groundballs, with a GB% of 55.4% in the minor leagues this season.
Garcia made his MLB debut with Seattle July 21, when he pitched 1 inning and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk. He slots in as Arizona’s No. 16 prospect according to MLB.com.
Ashton Izzi, RHP, Age 21
The second of the prospect duo is Ashton Izzi–a 21-year-old, 6’3” right-hander drafted in the 4th round and signed to an over-slot deal ($1.1M) back in 2022 out of high school. Now Arizona’s No. 11 prospect, Izzi has 2.5 years of professional pitching experience at Single-A and High-A (A+). Last season in A ball, Izzi threw 110.2 IP over 26 starts, accumulating a 2.35 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He did, however, earn himself a 4.56 FIP (5.22 xFIP) and managed to walk 12.2% of hitters.
In 2025, Izzi, pitching in A+, has made 12 starts (47.1 IP) to the tune of a 5.51 ERA (4.91 FIP, 4.12 xFIP), striking out a quarter of the batters he’s faced and walking under 10%, an improvement from last season. His HR/FB rate this season stands at 17.4% compared to the 3.4% rate he held last season, indicating he’s due for positive regression in home run allowance. Izzi throws 3 pitches–a fastball, slider and changeup–and is expected to develop one or two more pitches to grow his arsenal. It’ll likely be a few years until we see Izzi pitching in the MLB.
Final Takeaways
The Diamondbacks’ front office is pivoting to the future, and picking 2 arms up while offloading an expiring hitter should be seen as a victory, even if it signals waving the white flag on 2025. Josh Naylor will be counted on to play both 1B and DH for the Mariners, who have gotten average production out of both positions this season. All in all, Seattle is pushing for the postseason, and this could be just the first act of their 2025 trade deadline story.
Inner Half 