The Cleveland Guardians traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks last month and got pitcher Slade Cecconi and a top draft pick in return.
Moving Naylor made sense in theory because he will be a free agent and the Guardians weren’t particularly keen on extending him.
Opinions about what they got in return were divided.
Others, however, believe he shouldn’t have been dealt at all.
Guardians insider Mandy Bell offered her take when asked if she thought that Carlos Santana would be able to protect Jose Ramirez the same way Naylor did.
“It seems like it made much more sense to hang on to him (Naylor) until maybe the trade deadline and figure things out, allowing this offense to show some stability. I’m not saying that they won’t, but to think Carlos Santana, who is starting to inch closer and closer to 40 years old, being their cleanup guy… It seems like they are missing a couple of pieces in their offense right now,” Bell explained.
Can Carlos Santana effectively replace Josh Naylor for the @CleGuardians in 2025? @MandyBell02 weighs in pic.twitter.com/qlLtWgo49W
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 23, 2025
Yes, Naylor hit 31 homers and drove in 108 runs for Cleveland.
However, in terms of wRC+ (an all-encompassing offensive stat), Naylor finished at 118 and Santana at 114 with the Minnesota Twins.
The difference is minimal.
Santana also had a higher WAR, 3.0 to 2.3, thanks to his elite defense.
In raw power, yes, Naylor was a better bet for the Guardians lineup.
In the big picture, Santana is more valuable, doesn’t come with future long-term contract drama, and netted Cleveland a solid pitching prospect and a draft pick.
It’s true that there are reasons to be worried about Santana’s age, but Kyle Manzardo is there should the move go south.
This is all entirely subjective and all opinions are valid, but swapping Naylor for Santana might not be as bad as some fans think.
NEXT: Guardians Insider Says 'It's Hard To Doubt' Star Achieving 40-40 Season
