Cal Raleigh’s push to get the next World Series after this year’s heartbreak just got catapulted. The Seattle Mariners just landed their biggest offseason target before any real bidding war even starts. After coming so close to making history this postseason, it’s exactly the kind of move that could launch them into another deep run next year.

If you remember, Seattle shored up first base by adding Josh Naylor and stabilized third with Eugenio Suarez, and both moves paid off. The Mariners ended up just one win shy of the World Series. But the problem? Naylor and Suarez both hit free agency afterward.

Well, scratch that for Naylor. He was a free agent, but not anymore as he’s officially back in Seattle!!! And all these happenings when we’re only halfway through November.

“First baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners are finalizing a five-year contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. The first major free agent to sign this winter goes back to Seattle, where he was beloved after joining the Mariners in a deadline trade,” MLB insider Jeff Passan said.

While the official contract amount is not revealed, as per Ali Alexander, the deal is done in $90-$100 million range. So with that money, what the Mariners got is a steal deal. “Jim is here to stay,” Raleigh shared the news in his Instagram story. Shows what the Mariners’ own ‘Jim’ holds for the team.

Well, for starters, Naylor proved he could thrive in one of the toughest-hitting environments in baseball. Reportedly, T-Mobile Park is rated by Baseball Savant as the hardest park in MLB for hitters, yet that didn’t slow him down at all. This year, he slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine homers and 19 steals over just 54 games!!!

Moreover, Naylor finished the regular season in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate. Thus, fanning just 13.7 percent of the time, and then turned around and hit .340 across 12 postseason games before Seattle fell in the ALCS.

Hence, losing a bat like that would have left a huge hole in the lineup. But the Mariners don’t have to worry about that now. By bringing Naylor back early in the offseason, they avoid a major setback and keep a crucial piece of their lineup intact. Now they’ll hope he can deliver similar production in what will be his first full season in Seattle.

The Mariners’ offseason moves don’t end with Naylor

Reportedly, Japanese star corner infielder Munetaka Murakami is expected to make the jump to MLB this offseason, and guess what, the Mariners are in the mix.

Well, Murakami’s power is no secret… He hit 22 HRs in just 56 games in NPB this year, and he broke the single-season Japanese home run record with 56 back in 2022. And now, Murakami is projected to land something in the north of $200 million.

Yes, the Mariners could probably handle a contract like that on their own. But it gets irresistible when you imagine Murakami behind Naylor, a move the front office has basically admitted is its top offseason priority.

So, in a lot of ways, the Mariners look like they’re taking a page out of the Blue Jays’ playbook.. They’re riding the energy from a strong 2025 run and trying to keep that momentum rolling with aggressive roster moves. Step one — re-signing Naylor — is already done. Now we’ll see if they can check off box number two.