The Seattle Mariners first order of business this offseason was re-signing 1B Josh Naylor. He became a free agent following his short season in Seattle after he was acquired at the 2025 Trade Deadline. The Mariners’ first baseman turbocharged their postseason run. Posting a .299 batting average, a .341 OBP, and an .831 OPS while belting nine homers and driving in 33 runs. At the beginning of free agency, the Mariners inked Naylor to a five-year, $92.5 million contract, keeping him in an M’s uniform. In addition to bringing back Naylor, the Mariners also made three more notable acquisitions.
Seattle continued to improve its roster by trading for LHP Jose Ferrer from the Washington Nationals. The Mariners sent top catching prospect Harry Ford, along with RHP Isaac Lyon, to Washington to complete the deal. Then Seattle signed Rob Refsnyder, a right-handed hitting outfielder, to a one-year $6.25 million contract.
Later in free agency, the Mariners acquired a left-handed bat, INF/OF Brendan Donovan, from the St. Louis Cardinals. The M’s sent SS Tai Peete, along with RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, to St. Louis as part of the deal. Seattle finalized the transaction by shipping 3B Ben Williamson to the Tampa Bay Rays, finishing the three-team trade. The Mariners did what they could to try to improve their roster through trades and free agency. Signing Naylor and Refsnyder while also trading for Ferrer and Donovan.
Here is what each of the four Mariners off-season acquisitions has done through the first month of the season:
Mariners’ first baseman Josh Naylor is heating up after a sluggish start to the year
Naylor had a tough time finding his swing at the beginning of the season. Through his first 15 games, he was hitting just .102, with a .197 OBP and a .299 OPS. Naylor also had no home runs and just two RBIs. Naylor’s breakout moment came on April 13th, at home against the Houston Astros. He hit his first two home runs of the season, a three-run shot and a two-run bomb to help the Mariners to a 6-1 victory.
Since then, he has turned things around at the plate. Over the last 14 days, Naylor is batting .357, with a .404 OBP and a 1.023 OPS, with three homers and nine RBIs. Coming through with a clutch walk-off single last Wednesday to beat the A’s 5-4. Then he hit a go-ahead home run on Friday in the Mariners’ 3-2 win over the Cardinals.
Mariners’ reliever Jose Ferrer is showing his tenacity
Seattle acquired Ferrer to add another left-handed leverage arm to pair with Gabe Speier. In his first four appearances, he gave up seven hits, three runs (two earned) through three innings of work. His ERA was at 6.00 after those four games. In his last 11 innings since then, Ferrer has given up just one earned run (despite surrendering 12 hits over that span), lowering his ERA to 1.93. His ability to work around those hits speaks to Ferrer’s resilience.
The M’s reliever has shown the ability to bounce back and handle adversity. Against the San Diego Padres, Ferrer came on in relief of Andres Munoz with two men on. Trying to earn a save with the Mariners clinging to a 6-5 lead. Unfortunately for Ferrer, Padres’ OF Jackson Merrill laced a two-run walk-off double down the left field line, as the Mariners reliever blew the save.
However, he would not let that carry over to his next outings. In fact, from that point on, he has not blown a lead in either of his two hold or save appearances. On Sunday, Ferrer picked up his first save as a Mariner as Seattle beat St. Louis 3-2 to complete a three-game sweep. An encouraging sign of what is to come for the M’s reliever.
Seattle’s third baseman Brendan Donovan has flashed his potential; he just needs to get healthy
Donovan started his Mariner career with a bang. Homering in his first at-bat on Opening Day in front of a sold-out crowd in Seattle. Becoming the first Mariners player to hit a lead-off home run in the first game of the season. Donovan continued to show what he could do with the bat in April. Posting the highest batting average (.304) and OBP (.437) of any everyday starter on Seattle’s roster.
The only issue for Donovan has been staying healthy. He had to deal with a viral illness, which kept him out of two of the first three games of the Mariners series with the Astros in mid-April. The next week, he suffered a hip strain against the Texas Rangers. An injury that put him on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 18th. The Mariners are hoping Donovan will be able to return soon and that he will not have to miss extended time.
Mariners’ outfielder Rob Refsnyder is turning the corner
Refsnyder had a rough start to his career in Seattle. He went 0-for-18 to begin the season, as he made pinch-hit appearances and started games against left-handed pitchers. Then, on April 19th, against the Rangers, he hit a solo home run to bust out of his slump. In the last seven days since that game, Refsnyder is batting .273, with a .308 OBP, and an .853 OPS.
Against the Cardinals on Sunday, the Mariners’ outfielder had another big moment. Refsnyder came on to pinch hit for Luke Raley in the ninth inning with the score tied 2-2. After winning a critical challenge on a pitch that would have been strike three on an 0-2 pitch, Refsnyder got another chance to hit. He then worked the count full before hitting the go-ahead home run into the left field bullpen. Displaying his prowess against left-handed pitchers.
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