Mariners News: Josh Naylor speaks, arbitration projections, Tai Peete AFL moonshot

When the Seattle Mariners' season ended on September 27, it was a relief. Nobody had any fun watching this year's team, and there's no getting around how much that had to do with their three core stars all having career-worst seasons.

We heard what Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez had to say for themselves. And now, courtesy of Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, we have Josh Naylor's thoughts as well.

“I’ll take full blame for it. I didn’t do my part,” Naylor said, sometime during the final days of the regular season.

That's putting it a little harshly, but only a little. In the first year of his five-year, $92.5 million contract, Naylor hit a solid .261 but saw his power vanish to the tune of a .350 SLG and 10 home runs. He had issues with his shoulder and wrist, but stopped sort of using those as an excuse:

"Me and the training staff have a plan to do certain things. I think everyone plays through pain. Everyone wants to play baseball, play at the highest level, and play at your best capability, whether it’s 50% that day, give all your 50; whether it’s 20, [you give] 20. But I don’t really like to use that as an excuse. I love to play baseball whether I’m hurt or not… If you’re not willing to play through pain, this is the wrong job."

Josh Naylor

Would it have been fair of Naylor to blame his bad season on his physical ailments? There's a case there, as well as a case that he actually did quite well to salvage his season. He was second on the team in hits, while his 30 stolen bases made history.

Still, letting him off the hook isn't the way to go. His bat speed is in a multi-year decline, and he's as culpable as anyone for the lack of energy the Mariners played with this year. The edge that he brought after coming over from the Arizona Diamondbacks last July just never really showed up in 2026.

Either way, here's hoping he gets healthy and is in a better place to contribute in 2027.

MLB Trade Rumors' salary arbitration projections dropped last week

Friday was a big day for those who obsessively await MLB Trade Rumors' salary arbitration projections every year. The figures for 2027 finally dropped, and here's a look at what's in store for the Mariners:

This is not including Bryce Miller. The Mariners hold a $6.075 million club option on him for 2027, and our thinking is that they'll pick that up. The alternative is rejecting it, in which case he'd be projected for a $3.9 million salary in arbitration. Securing basically $2 million in savings is not worth souring the team's relationship with Miller, which was strained enough in 2026.

The other question is which players could get non-tendered. Luke Raley is almost certainly on the chopping block, as even $3.1 million is a bit much for an oft-injured platoon hitter who has posted -0.3 rWAR across the last two seasons.

If Raley does get non-tendered, the Mariners would shave their total increase in arbitration salaries down to about $18 million. That's roughly what they paid to Randy Arozarena and Taylor Ward as arb-eligible players in 2026, and both are headed for free agency.

Get a load of Tai Peete's moonshot in the Arizona Fall League

With the Mariners nowhere to be found, it's a good time to catch up with old friends. So, here's former Mariners first-rounder Tai Peete hitting the cover off the ball in the Arizona Fall League on Saturday:

Peete is currently starring for the Peoria Javelinas, notably alongside breakout Mariners prospect Boston Smith. Peete is off to a 3-for-9 start through two games, putting him on track to add a nice cap to a season in which he had a .908 OPS in the St. Louis Cardinals system.

Good for them. Alas, it'll only be good for the Mariners as well if Brendan Donovan makes a strong comeback from an injury-marred 2026 season next year.

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