The Mariners’ acquisition of Josh Naylor is looking like one of the key moves of the 2025 season, given how Naylor has helped carry Seattle to the AL West crown and a first-round playoff bye. However, the M’s weren’t the only team who was looking to land Naylor, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Reds “were close to” working out a trade to obtain the first baseman from the Diamondbacks.
Exactly what the Reds offered the D’Backs isn’t known, or if Cincinnati was the runner-up in the trade talks. It is worth noting that the Diamondbacks made their decision to move Naylor somewhat early — the Naylor trade was completed on July 24, a week before the July 31 trade deadline. It could be that Arizona simply liked the Mariners’ offer (young pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi) enough that it felt the Reds or any other teams weren’t going to top it, or the Reds weren’t given a chance to potentially make a counter. Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen and Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto are also frequent trade partners and have a well-established rapport, whereas Arizona’s trade history with Cincinnati is pretty scant in recent years.
The Reds were known to be looking for extra bats at midseason, and Miguel Andujar has hit tremendously well in a part-time role since being acquired from the Athletics. Apart from Andujar, however, Cincinnati’s other pre-deadline trades saw the team pick up more pitching (Zack Littell) and a defensive specialist in third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. While the Reds were surely hoping Hayes’ offense might improve with a change of scenery, his .239/.320/.348 slash line in 175 plate appearances since the trade is still subpar, and only a slight step up from his dismal numbers in Pittsburgh.
It is natural to assume that Naylor would’ve been a boost to the Reds lineup, and that he would’ve taken over as the everyday first baseman. That would have pushed the struggling Spencer Steer into a bench role or part-time DH role, which might’ve also had an impact on how things have played out. Steer has had a tough year overall but saved some of his best hitting for last, as he has hit .257/.366/.500 over his last 82 plate appearances.
Obviously plenty of sliding-doors scenarios are possible if a Naylor-to-Cincinnati trade had actually happened, as that trade would’ve had a massive impact on pennant races in both leagues. If Cincinnati does fall short in its bid for the final NL wild card slot today, some second-guessing is sure to follow about what moves the front office did or didn’t make either at the deadline or last winter.
This isn’t the first time that the Reds have been linked to Naylor, as the team also inquired about the first baseman last winter when he was still a member of the Guardians. This longer-standing interest could potentially make the Reds a candidate to sign Naylor in free agency this winter. Between Naylor’s strong performance in Seattle, his big 2025 season as a whole, and his broader track record of success over the last four years, he’ll command a healthy multi-year deal on the open market, so signing Naylor would stretch the budget of a Reds team that has traditionally had bottom-third payrolls. Dipoto has already made plain his desire to re-sign Naylor, and several other clubs will surely have interest in adding a power bat.