Brewers trade for Josh Naylor's brother just opened an intriguing door for Mariners

Even if the Mariners are determined to be aggressive ahead of Monday's trade deadline, they may have to become a little creative and not just focus on shooting for the stars. With this in mind, Bo Naylor's trade to the Brewers might have indirectly offered an opportunity for the M's to take advantage of. With Naylor now in Milwaukee, it's possible that current backup catcher Gary Sánchez may now be available.

We know that one of the Mariners' biggest needs is a right-handed bat who can hit lefties. However, it's no secret that the catcher production in Seattle this year has been a nightmare, particularly Cal Raleigh, but also his backups. We wrote on Thursday about the front office potentially making a move for Iván Herrera, but what about Sánchez as a smaller scale, lower risk version of the Cardinals All-Star?

Sánchez might no longer be the same player who earned two All-Star selections during his time with the Yankees, but he's still effective. His .790 OPS in 2026 is above his career average of .771, with him producing an impressive .878 OPS versus left-handed pitching specifically. He can also provide some versatility, with his ability to play at DH and even first base if ever required.

Contractually speaking, the 33-year-old is on a one-year deal worth $1.75 million that includes a mutual option for 2027, which is certainly something the Mariners can work with. We appreciate that Naylor has been optioned to Triple-A Nashville. However, as per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Naylor's arrival signals the Brewers would consider moving Sánchez for MLB-ready help.

A possible deal which would be great for the Mariners, but might not appeal to the Brewers

This of course leads to the question of what the Brewers would consider taking, which is where things get even more interesting. For example, would they consider taking an arm, with Luis Castillo or Emerson Hancock being the Mariners' preferred choices to move. And if so, given the Brewers would be obtaining a starting pitcher in exchange for a backup catcher, what else would they be willing to throw in?

The Brewers have one of the best farm systems in the majors, and we'd be interested in acquiring someone such as Andrew Fischer. The 22-year-old is a power bat with an above-average arm, who projects as a third baseman. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the number six prospect in Milwaukee's farm system, and he's the type of player who could help the Mariners over the long-term.

Admittedly there's a couple of obstacles to consider. First, that the Brewers would be unlikely to take on Castillo in particular, due to his sizable salary which has around $30 million owing to him though the end of next season. (The M's could offer to retain some of his salary, but this doesn't help them.) Secondly, obtaining Fischer would be a challenge, given he was drafted 20th overall last year and has the type of promising future an oganization would be loathe to give away.

However, even a no to either or both doesn't stop the Mariners from having the means to trade for Sánchez. At the very least he makes for an intriguing possibility, pending who else Dipoto is pursuing between now and 3:00 pm PT on Aug. 3.

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