THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: The M's need Naylor, but does Naylor need the M's?

Josh Naylor is a shameless flirt.

Everything he says and does makes the Mariners swoon.

They breathe heavily and whisper: “I think he really wants us.”

Does he?

If I’m Naylor, coming up to free agency at age 28, I’d be batting my lashes at any team that seems interested.

Yes, the Mariners are different because Josh spent the last two-plus months of the 2025 season in Seattle, and threw stardust everywhere he took a step.

He became a rock in the lineup, and a ballerina at first base.

It’s no surprise that the M’s want him back, to the point that team president Jerry Dipoto has said so in public.

Pursuit of free agents is normally top-secret stuff, but Seattle’s need for Naylor is so absurdly obvious that Jerry didn’t bother with any double-talk.

Meantime, the Mariners’ fan base considers Naylor’s re-signing almost a done deal.

Josh has said over and over how much he loves Seattle (the city and the organization), not to mention enjoying adoration from the fans.

Plus, this team is built to win.

You would THINK he’d sign with the Mariners for any reasonable offer.

ON THE other hand, my dad used to say: “Hold the dice.”

This is about money.

Players do not donate their time or paychecks to billionaire owners.

Nor should they.

Naylor will be signing his last (and largest) contract, the one that takes care of his family forever.

Despite all the hugs and kisses on both sides, can Josh and the Mariners’ bean-counters truly find a deal that suits everyone?

The club surely has a proposal in mind, both in terms of dollars and years.

One way or another, that offer has been leaked to Naylor’s representatives, along with the question: “What do you think?”

Hmmm.

Let’s back up for a second.

The Mariners’ needs remain roughly the same as they were at the last trade deadline: first and third base, along with more reliable depth in the bullpen.

The organization has a few glittering prospects who MIGHT be able to step in on opening day.

Top prospect Colt Emerson has been playing short, but he could move to third.

So far, though, there is no first baseman in the minors who looks like a sure thing.

A full-court press to keep Naylor makes sense.

Frankly, I can picture Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander telling the Naylor camp: “Any offer visible with the Hubble telescope, we’ll top it.”

I know what you’re thinking.

Loveable John Stanton and his ownership group have hung on to every penny possible.

They’ll need cash for raises as their young stars hit arbitration, and there could be another top free agent on the menu (Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami, just posted by the Yakult Swallows, is already a star at 25).

If Stanton’s gang could find the cash for Naylor AND Murakami, the Mariners likely would become World Series favorites.

FOR NOW, the critical signing is Naylor.

It’s obvious that he fits this ballclub, in spirit and style of play.

Among other things, you get a hitter who is capable of doing serious damage — but without nightmare strikeout numbers.

Naylor is a guy who can deliver with a runner on third and one out.

Seattle was dead last in MLB in that category last year, which killed a lot of rallies.

OK, so, where are we?

What will it take to bring Naylor back?

As a friend of mine puts it: “How many pictures of the dead presidents?”

Former major league GM Jim Bowden, writing for The Athletic, suggested that Naylor could be wrapped up for four years at $90 million.

ESPN’s national baseball reporter, Jeff Passan, thinks that number may be too high. 

Passan pointed out that proven stars like Pete Alonso and Freddie Freeman took considerably less than expected, simply because they play first base.

“I think that (major league organizations) understand as great as Josh Naylor was, first basemen’s markets in free agency just aren’t all that immense,” Passan said.

The Mariners would be thrilled if Naylor’s future played out that way.

“It’s not just that they like him,” Passan said. “It’s that, if they don’t have him, it’s going to feel empty. 

“And after a year like this, that’s not something the Mariners want to be doing.”

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”