Instagram activity has Mariners fans fearing Josh Naylor is already done with Seattle

The Seattle Mariners' 2025 season ended over a week ago, and they can't really get going on their offseason until after the World Series. They're in a sort of purgatory, a rather dull place where imaginations have been known to wander.

Which brings us to pending free agent Josh Naylor, and specifically to a comment he left on a post by Cal Raleigh on Instagram. Here's Seattle Mariners ON Tap with the details on X: "My neck still hurts but it was worth it all. See you around my friend Will always be rooting for you, God Speed!"

There's a lot to unpack here, starting with how the neck and shoulder issues Naylor dealt with throughout 2025 haven't fully gone away even after a week of rest since Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

More to the point... is this Naylor trying to say goodbye to Raleigh? Like, for good? What other way can there be to explain: "See you around my friend. Will always be rooting for you, God Speed!"

Josh Naylor's apparent goodbye isn't going to sit well with Mariners fans

Before we get too deep into any conspiratorial rabbit holes, let's grant that we might be putting more time and attention into Naylor's post than Naylor did himself. It's a comment on a social media post, not the freakin' Da Vinci Code.

Further, anyone who knows he's about to be a free agent wouldn't write something like, "Looking forward to running it back!" Even if the thought was authentic, that's A) taking a return to a team for granted and B) giving said team extra leverage in contract negotiations.

That said, it's not exactly comforting to see Naylor implying that he isn't taking it for granted that he'll be back in Seattle next year.

The Mariners haven't been subtle about wanting to keep Naylor, and this is an area where the franchise and the fanbase are on the same page. He was a smashing success after he came over from Arizona in July, posting a 138 OPS+ with nine homers and 19 stolen bases down the stretch of the regular season, followed by a .967 OPS in the postseason.

Naylor also added value on the margins as a crafty ballplayer and as a motivating presence in the clubhouse and dugout. And whereas most hitters have nightmares about T-Mobile Park, he legitimately loves hitting there.

It'll cost the Mariners to keep the 28-year-old, however. Jim Bowden of The Athletic projects his contract at $90 million over four years, which is twice as long and $66 million richer than Jerry Dipoto's high-water mark for a free-agent hitter. And while the Mariners seemingly do have room to spend this winter, a $22.5 million per year contract would eat up quite a bit of their apparent budget.

Could Naylor be aware of this and planning his exit accordingly? Could it be that he values himself even more than $90 million and is playing his cards? Could it be that he doesn't want to settle in Seattle and is letting Mariners fans down easy?

Or, could it be that he was simply wishing a friend well and not trying to stir anything up?

We obviously won't know until we see the end of Naylor's free agency, at which point memories of this post will either make us laugh or cry.