Josh Naylor contract details prove Mariners' culture could be an Angels problem

The Los Angeles Angels have been denied of a postseason berth in large part due to the divisional dominance the Houston Astros displayed from 2017 until this past season. The Astros had a semi-dynastic run for eight years there, and the Angels have been wallowing in mediocrity (to put it mildly) as a result. Not only did the Astros win a couple of World Series in that span, but the Texas Rangers got one too. Now, the Seattle Mariners are at the doorstep of becoming a World Series favorite as they locked up a member of the team's nucleus for a cheaper fee than anybody expected.

Josh Naylor contract details prove Mariners' culture could be an Angels problem

The Mariners might have become a power in MLB, as evidenced by Josh Naylor taking a team discount to stay in Seattle. Naylor, a first baseman who the Mariners acquired at the trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians, just signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal after the Angels' division rivals made a Game 7 of the ALCS.

At his press conference, Naylor said: “I had such a blast being a part of everything [last year]... I can't wait to run it back with them because they deserve this. This city deserves it.”

In 12 playoff games this past season, Naylor slashed .340/.392/.574/.967. In the regular season for Seattle, Naylor slashed .299/.341/.490/.831 which were all massive improvements from his season with Cleveland. For what it's worth, Naylor drove in 5 runs and stole 5 bases while with Seattle vs. the Halos this year.

The Seattle Mariners are building something special, even with the team potentially losing Jorge Polanco in free agency. Their pitching staff will remain completely intact, and will likely get even better given the prestige and ages of their rotation and bullpen. The Mariners are not known for spending a lot of money on their roster, a fact that has infuriated the team's fans the past...two decades? Three? If any team could excel with re-signing a player below his value, it's the Mariners. They get a lot of bang for their buck as it is!

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Angels have a lame duck general manager, just improbably signed their manager to a one-year deal and are completely revamping their coaching staff for the second time in the last three years (pre-2024 and pre-2026). Nobody expects the Angels to make a run for the playoffs this year, and instead point to 2027 as the more logical timeline to contend. Now, with the Naylor signing and the state of Seattle (not to mention the A's and Astros) the Angels have an even steeper uphill climb to make to win their way back to relevance.