Josh Naylor has been an integral part of the Cleveland Guardians lineup in each of the past two seasons.
He posted a .842 OPS in 2023 and hit 31 home runs and 108 RBI this past season.
One has to wonder why the Guardians, an offense-needy team, are even entertaining the possibility of trading him.
Those familiar with Cleveland’s modus operandi will understand, though: they, most likely, will not be extending him because he is a first baseman with little defensive value who will command more money in the open market than the team is willing to spend.
It’s simple: the Guardians don’t usually allocate important resources to players like Naylor.
What they do with players like him before they reach the open market is trading them to get some value in return.
If the Guardians want to get max value from him, trading him now is the way to go.
The team needs to take advantage of the fact that multiple contenders are still actively looking for first base help.
The New York Yankees have no first baseman as of now, for example, and the Seattle Mariners are also looking for someone who contributes some thump at the position.
Naylor should fetch something useful in return because teams haven’t shown a willingness to meet Pete Alonso or Christian Walker’s asking price.
Cleveland has the ideal replacement for Naylor in Kyle Manzardo, a powerful lefty masher like him who happens to have multiple years of team control left.
Don’t be surprised if the Guardians take one of the offers they probably have on the table for Naylor any day now.
NEXT: Analyst Explains Pitching And Money Are The Reasons Behind Recent Guardians Trade
