The Cleveland Guardians traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason.
The writing was always on the wall, as the Guardians weren’t going to extend his contract and they usually trade a player with some value who is about to become a free agent.
They received Slade Cecconi and a pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Naylor recently referred to the trade in a conversation with Bernie Pleskoff of Forbes, who said the slugger seems happy in Arizona.
“Naylor said he had heard rumors about a potential trade from Cleveland for ‘a couple of years’ but that he enjoyed his time in Cleveland. At one point, he said he realized that ‘baseball is a business.’ He noted the D-backs are his fourth organization,” Pleskoff wrote.
Naylor had a power explosion in 2024 with career-highs of 31 home runs, and 108 RBIs.
His performance dipped considerably in the second half, though.
Now, he is looking to have a good season in the National League so he can increase his earning opportunities on the open market.
This offseason showed that MLB teams aren’t valuing slugging first basemen very highly, but Naylor has probably learned about the dynamics of the market and will likely adjust his approach.
Naylor said there just wasn’t much interest on the Guardians’ part in a new deal.
“It was surprising when Naylor told the Arizona media the Guardians did not approach him with any contract negotiations last year,” Pleskoff wrote.
The Guardians always knew they traded for Kyle Manzardo to be the first baseman of the future, and they also brought in Carlos Santana on a one-year deal.
All things considered, both parties have successfully moved on.
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