WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup veteran Josh Naylor signs five-year deal with MLB's Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) announced the signing of WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup veteran Josh Naylor to a five-year deal through the 2030 season. The deal is reportedly worth over US$ 92 million and includes a full no-trade clause.
Naylor, 28, joined the Mariners from the Diamondbacks on July 24, 2025, in a trade that took pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi to Arizona.
"I'm going to be a Mariner again, and I couldn't be more excited," commented Naylor. "From the moment I arrived, everyone in the organisation welcomed and helped me. The players brought me in and loved my game right away, and the fans were incredible. Seattle has the best fanbase in baseball. They're electric and support us through and through, and I couldn't be more thankful for that. I can't wait to continue to play with these guys and bring the city a championship."
A native of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Joshua-Douglas James Naylor represented his country in a record three WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cups - 2012, 2013 and 2015. He helped Canada to a silver medal in 2012. He also played in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
His younger brother Bo (born in 2000), currently a catcher for the Cleveland Guardians, represented Canada at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 and the 2023 World Baseball Classic. A third brother, 20-year-old Miles, is in the Oakland A's Farm System.
The Miami Marlins picked Josh Naylor at No. 12 overall in the 2015 MLB Draft, where he received a US$2.25 million bonus. The Marlins traded him to the San Diego Madres in 2016.
Naylor made his MLB debut on May 24, 2019, for the Padres. San Diego dealt him to the Cleveland Guardians in 2020. While playing for Cleveland, Naylor made MLB history on May 9, 2022, when he became the first player with eight runs batted in in the eighth inning or later.
The Guardians traded Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks in December 2024.