This past week, multiple insiders reported that the Cleveland Guardians were open to dealing two of their regulars: first baseman Josh Naylor and center fielder Lane Thomas.
Both are entering the final season of team control with Cleveland, and the team usually trades such players to get something in return instead of risking losing them for free.
Several squads have shown interest in the pair of stars.
The Baltimore Orioles were one of them over the weekend.
On Sunday, they got some company.
“Reds Showing Interest In Josh Naylor, Lane Thomas,” MLB Trade Rumors posted on X.
Reds Showing Interest In Josh Naylor, Lane Thomas https://t.co/EmRjyEPsgj pic.twitter.com/ZwuJPnnrED
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) December 8, 2024
It’s not hard to see why MLB organizations are interested in the pair.
The only reason the Guardians are even entertaining a trade is because they are both one year away from free agency, and because they could certainly use a top pitcher.
Of course, they also need to offensive production Naylor and Thomas offer, and that puts Cleveland in a rough spot.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to see what’s out there in each case.
Naylor is the most likely to be traded, even after hitting 31 homers and driving in 108 runs this past season.
The Guardians happen to have a natural replacement ready to take over in Kyle Manzardo.
Thomas’ situation is a bit more tricky because there is no ready-made replacement at center field for him, at least not with his offensive upside.
He started off slow in Cleveland but put the people in his pockets with a strong stretch run and playoffs performance.
Will the Guardians trade one of them? Are they bold enough to move both?
We shall see in the next few days.
NEXT: Guardians' Quest For Starting Pitching Should Not End With Shane Bieber
