Naylor fitting in perfectly as a Mariner

This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer's Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SEATTLE -- On a recent getaway day in which the Mariners were trekking from T-Mobile Park to the East Coast, Josh Naylor meandered giddily through the home locker room seeking out Tucker, the clubhouse dog.

“I’ve got some treats for him before we go,” the slugger said in passing.

Naylor finally found the 7-year-old mixed Labrador, who was just as happy when reuniting with his new friend, in large part because the first baseman has become an easy target for said treats. And the moment was a microcosm to how rapidly Naylor has fit into his new environment after being acquired from the D-backs ahead of the Trade Deadline.

“I love dogs to begin with,” said Naylor, who has two at home of the same breed, Zeus and Rio. “I don't think we deserve dogs as humans. I think they're just so perfect and precious. So I just try to give him everything I can -- that love and food. I've never had a clubhouse dog. I think it's really unique. I think it's good. It kind of keeps things light. When you have a dog to play with, it makes you happy.”

For as intense as Naylor is on the field, his bond with Tucker has exposed a gentler side, and one that extends to his teammates.

During a tense ninth inning on Tuesday, as Andrés Muñoz was seeking his 34th save, Naylor initiated a mound visit to help put the closer at ease by asking what his plans were after the game. George Kirby said that Naylor did something similar on his very first day with the Mariners, approaching the starting pitcher in the middle of a July 25 game in Anaheim about something he noticed in his delivery that could help him better hold runners. Cal Raleigh said that even in his bid for AL MVP, he’s picked up a ton of tidbits on hitting from Naylor.

“He is a competitor, man, like, he just goes out there to do everything he can to help us win the game,” Julio Rodríguez said, “and that's something that I respect from him a lot. And I'm really happy he's on our side and he's competing for us to like. He just brings it every day.”

Naylor, who will be a free agent at season’s end, has latched onto his new surroundings, from fits to friends and fans.

During pregame drills, he regularly wears a pair of custom-made Mariners hockey jerseys -- one is silver, the other teal -- complete with matching gym shorts, that have his No. 12 and nickname, “Naylz” stitched on his nameplate. A friend from back home in Canada designed them and expedited them shortly after the trade.

“They’re basically like a home and away,” Naylor said.

During games, Naylor has also worn a custom belt that features dozens of tridents as it encircles his waist. As for the actual trident, he’s hoisted eight times already after a homer, calling it one of the sport’s unique celebratory props. Five of those long balls have come at T-Mobile Park, one of the sport’s least-hitter-friendly environments yet where he’s hit .365 with a 1.111 OPS.

“I feel comfortable everywhere, to be honest. But I just really enjoy playing here,” Naylor said. “Coming here as an opponent, I thought it was a super cool stadium. The fans were always electric. And I think you see [the ball] well here, personally.”

For all these reasons -- not to mention the production in 40 games since the trade -- Naylor has quickly become a fan favorite, too.

There was even a sign adorned on the railing above the left-field facade this week that read, “Sign Naylor Now” directed at the front office to bring back the impending free agent. But no, Naylor didn’t see it.

“I don’t really look around at the crowd like that during the game,” Naylor said. “I’m kind of just locked in on the moment. But that’s super cool. The fans here are awesome.”

Seattle’s front office knew when acquiring Naylor from Arizona -- for pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi -- that he was only a rental. But given the strong impression he’s made, and that the Mariners don’t have a long-term answer at his position, a potential reunion is shaping up to be one of the club’s leading offseason storylines.

Naylor, who turns 29 next June, will be among the headlining free-agent first basemen, and in a market where not many teams are expected to be in the market at that position. But bringing him back will necessitate a multiyear commitment and almost certainly at a higher rate than the $10.9 million he’s earning in his final season of arbitration-eligibility.