Diamondbacks trade Josh Naylor to Seattle Mariners for 2 pitching prospects

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to trade first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners, the team announced on Thursday.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported the trade news with ESPN’s Jeff Passan reporting Arizona acquired pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi from the Mariners in exchange for Naylor.

In a corresponding move, Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Reno and the D-backs recalled first baseman Tristin English. Izzi was assigned to High-A Hillsboro.

Garcia, a 25-year-old southpaw, was listed as the Mariners’ No. 13 prospect, while Izzi was the team’s No. 16 prospect, ranked by MLB pipeline.

Garcia was picked in the 11th round by the Mariners in the 2023 MLB Draft. In eight relief appearances with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, he has pitched 8.1 innings with a 2.16 ERA and nine strikeouts. He pitched in 32 games in the minor leagues altogether this year with a 3.51 ERA and 42 punch outs.

Garcia made his MLB debut on Monday and last pitched on Wednesday.

He throws from an unorthodox arm angle, he and averaged 97 mph with his sinker during his brief MLB stint.

Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported that the D-backs see Garcia as a reliever.

Brandyn Garcia is a 25yo LHP picked in the 11th round in 2023. He has 2 MLB appearances

In the minors this year, he’s made 32 appearances in relief with a 3.51 ERA, 42 Ks, 17 BB and 5 saves

Unorthodox arm angle, Seattle’s 13th prospect on MLB Pipeline

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— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) July 25, 2025

Izzi, a 21-year-old right-hander, was selected in the fourth round of the draft in 2022 out of high school. He made 12 starts with the High-A Everett AquaSox this year, posting a 5.51 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 21 walks.

Ashton Izzi, 21, was a 4th rounder in 2022 out of high school.

He’s made 12 starts in High-A this year with a 5.51 ERA, 54 Ks and 21 BB.

He was Seattle’s 16th prospect via MLB Pipeline.

pic.twitter.com/iUiPfr4Jtt

— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) July 25, 2025

Per MLB Pipeline:

Izzi is pitching at age 21 for the 2025 season, and the 6-foot-3 right-hander built a pretty good foundation to work from. His fastball typically sits at least 94 mph and can touch as high as 97 at times, and he does a very good job of separating his four-seamer up in the zone and his sinking two-seamer down. His low-80s sweeper has the chance to be a solid pitch that misses bats. He didn’t have a great feel for his changeup with Modesto.

MLB Pipeline ranked Garcia and Izzi Nos. 16 and 11, respectively, in Arizona’s farm system.

The Diamondbacks traded for Naylor during the offseason, bringing him in after losing longtime franchise first baseman Christian Walker to the Houston Astros in free agency. Arizona sent the Cleveland Guardians pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance round B pick for Naylor, a 2024 American League All-Star.

Naylor has continued to hit this year after joining the Diamondbacks, starting out hot by hitting .341 in his first 23 games. He homered in three straight games at the Miami Marlins during that stretch.

He hit .292 as a Diamondback, slashing .292/.360/.447 with 11 home runs. He also set a career high in stolen bases before the end of July with 11. He became the third D-backs first baseman with double-digit home runs and steals, joining Paul Goldschmidt (five times) and Walker.

Naylor’s defense has been a bit more hit-and-miss with -3 outs above average, which is quite the difference from Walker’s three Gold Glove seasons.

Naylor will hit free agency for the first time at the end of the season as a 28-year-old.

The Diamondbacks brought in Naylor on an expiring contract as a win-now move after losing Walker with the rest of the roster in position to compete. After Naylor and ace pitcher Corbin Burnes joined the clubhouse, internal and external expectations for the Diamondbacks rose, as they were a projected postseason team.

This season has not gone to plan due to injuries and inconsistent play, mostly from a pitching and defense perspective. The Diamondbacks have struggled to stay above .500, and as they trail a competitive race for the third NL Wild Card spot, the front office has elected to pivot.

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