The Cleveland Guardians, as you probably know, are in an uncomfortable position.
They are 39-37 and too far back in the division race, exactly 8.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers.
However, one of the Wild Card spots is very much within reach if they play their cards right.
Some people speculated that if the Guardians couldn’t significantly improve their play in the upcoming weeks, they could sell at the deadline.
That doesn’t appear to be the case, according to former general manager and current The Athletic senior writer Jim Bowden, who revealed that Cleveland is looking to add rather than sell, at least for the moment.
You will be shocked to hear the name he is throwing around, though.
“You miss Josh Naylor a lot. I’m not opposed to bringing him back either, by the way, and making a trade. If Arizona has a bad month of July, I wouldn’t be afraid to go bring him back for the rest of the year either,” Bowden said.
.@JimBowdenGM with @KenCarman and @ByJasonLloyd: #Guardians definitely buying at the deadline; I'm not opposed to trading back for Josh Naylor if D-backs continue to slide https://t.co/AF4iymc0H4
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) June 23, 2025
The D-Backs are 39-38 as of Monday afternoon.
They are, you could say, in the same tier as the Guardians, but competition for Wild Card spots in the National League is much tougher.
A few more losses in the upcoming weeks would mean that Arizona could be inclined to sell.
If that’s the case, the Guardians probably wouldn’t mind taking a look at Naylor, a guy they know very well.
Naylor hit 31 home runs with 108 RBI last year in Cleveland.
There is a problem, though: positional fit.
The Guards already have Carlos Santana playing first and Kyle Manzardo (and David Fry) for the designated hitter spot.
Unless there are more moves or the team is willing to try Fry in other positions, the Guards are unlikely to make a move for Naylor.
Still, never say never, especially with Chris Antonetti calling the shots.
NEXT: Former GM Believes 1 Guardians Player Is 'Untouchable'
