The Cleveland Guardians have the ability to plug in Kyle Manzardo at first base, thus making Josh Naylor available in trade talks.
They need a solid, preferably young starter to shore up their rotating.
The Seattle Mariners are actively looking for a slugging first baseman.
Naylor hit 31 home runs and 108 RBI in 2024 for the Guards.
They M’s have plenty of young pitching, and could trade from their surplus of starters.
It’s really not that difficult to connect the dots.
There might not be a more obvious match between two teams for a trade.
Recent reports suggest that the two organizations have been discussing a potential name and, of course, Naylor’s name was brought into the chat.
“Sources: Josh Naylor has been mentioned in trade talks between the Guardians and Mariners. He’s one of multiple names under consideration by the Mariners for an offensive upgrade at 1B,” MLB senior reporter Jon Morosi posted on X.
Sources: Josh Naylor has been mentioned in trade talks between the Guardians and Mariners. He’s one of multiple names under consideration by the Mariners for an offensive upgrade at 1B.@MLBNetwork @SeattleSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 19, 2024
The Mariners need some offense and also have a vacant at the cold corner.
Performance-wise, Naylor would fit in like a glove.
If they are OK with the fact he will be a free agent after the 2025 campaign, they could pursue a trade.
There are many solid pitchers in Seattle who could interest the Guardians: Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo and Emerson Hancock, just to name a few.
There have been reports saying that the M’s are open to trading Castillo, but he probably makes too much money for the Guardians’ liking.
Gilbert and Kirby are probably unrealistic targets.
This is all speculation, though.
Only time will tell if the two squads can strike a deal.
NEXT: Guardians Seen As Ideal Fit For World Series-Winning Pitcher
