When the Seattle Mariners pulled the trigger on a deal to acquire Josh Naylor a few days before the trade deadline, he was the obvious centerpiece as a proven left-handed bat to bolster an inconsistent lineup.
But the trade didn’t come without its costs. One of the key pieces heading to Arizona in the deal, along with right-hander Ashton Izzi, was left-handed reliever Brandyn Garcia, a promising arm the Mariners had been developing carefully and recently called up to debut.
Though Garcia wasn’t necessarily a household name at the time of the trade, Seattle’s front office knew they were giving up a high-upside bullpen weapon.