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Cleveland Guardians trade candidates this offseason include first baseman Josh Naylor
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- Cleveland Guardians trade candidates this offseason include first baseman Josh Naylor
Considering all the questions the Guardians must answer before spring training camp opens in February, perhaps the most intriguing concern one spot: first base.
Put more simply: How do the Guardians handle all of their options at first base? And will Josh Naylor be traded before Opening Day?
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The latter question is what will drive the Guardians' offseason path this winter.
Naylor is coming off a 31-homer, 108-RBI season in 2024 , though much of that production came in the first half, which led to his first career All-Star nod (.816 OPS in the first half, .717 in the second). He finished with 633 plate appearances — the first time he ever topped 500 — and struggled to find the same production as earlier in the year.
Josh Naylor of the Guardians flies out in the fourth inning against the Yankees in Game 5 of the ALCS, Oct. 19, 2024 in Cleveland.
He's also entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, which also means the last year of club control. Without an extension, Naylor can become a free agent after the 2025 season. He has a projected 2025 arbitration salary of $12 million, nearly double what he made in 2024, according to MLB Trade Rumors' projections .
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That short-term control on its own can be reason enough for a team that operates like the Guardians to, at the very least, seek a trade partner and see if a trade to their liking is possible.
Barring an extension signed below league value (like the ones Jose Ramirez and Carlos Carrasco signed), the Guardians have rarely signed players to lucrative extensions once they get this close to free agency. Historically, either deals are often struck earlier in their careers or not at all.
But there are more elements to this than just Naylor's contract situation.
Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo runs after hitting a first-inning double against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland.
Kyle Manzardo could take on a larger role if Josh Naylor is traded
Kyle Manzardo , who was acquired in exchange for Aaron Civale at the 2023 trade deadline , gave the Guardians some flexibility at first base as a top-100 prospect added to the mix. Manzardo made his MLB debut last year, posting just a .703 OPS in 53 games, though he also came away with some huge swings at key moments down the stretch.
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Manzardo and Naylor can co-exist thanks to the designated hitter spot — but then there's David Fry .
Fry is expected to miss the beginning of the 2025 season after undergoing elbow surgery. Once he does return, he likely won't be able to play the field until 2026, relegating him to designated hitter duties for the duration of 2025.
The lack of lineup flexibility, combined with the long-term control of Manzardo and Fry, would make Naylor the most obvious trade candidate. The Chicago Cubs , Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates have all reportedly discussed a Naylor trade with the Guardians, with several other teams being potential fits on paper.
In essence, a Naylor trade partly hinges on the Guardians' confidence in Manzardo.
How do the Guardians replace Josh Naylor's offense if he's traded?
The Guardians already are looking to boost the lineup, so dealing Naylor from the middle of the order comes with some consequences. It'd be a lot to ask of Manzardo, who still isn't old enough to rent a car on his own — he won't turn 25 until July.
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Naylor has been an above-average hitter in each of the last three seasons, posting a wRC+ between 118 and 127 each year, meaning he's between between 18 percent and 27 percent above league average. The Guardians can hope Manzardo takes the next step in his development on schedule, and they can hope Chase DeLauter eventually breaks into the majors and makes an impact in right field, further lengthening the lineup.
They can hope Jhonkensy Noel receives more at-bats and adds some of that electrifying power on a more regular basis, especially while Fry is out and the DH spot is open. They can hope Andres Gimenez has a bounce-back year at the plate in 2025. They can hope Naylor's younger brother, Bo, breaks out as an offensive threat.
It's a lot of hoping. But sometimes that's a required ingredient.
Naylor is certainly a useful hitter in the Guardians lineup. But if he and the Guardians can't reach an agreement on an extension — last January, he said to ask the team about it — the club would have two paths.
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The first is to keep Naylor and figure out how to split up the available at-bats at first base and DH. If they're out of it come the trade deadline, Naylor could be traded then, which also covers them a bit if Manzardo struggles. Or, he could be kept for a possible postseason run, and then if he rejects a qualifying offer before signing elsewhere, the Guardians would receive draft pick compensation. It's a more uncertain option but, after all, the Guardians did just come within three wins of reaching the World Series .
Or they can trade him this winter and likely bring back more in a return. But in every case involving a possible trade, it takes two to tango. The decision to trade a player and finding the right deal at the right time are two very different things.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has long said the team will just about always at least listen to trade offers — they aren't in a position to be closing doors too early. A few high-profile first baseman — Pete Alonso , Christian Walker — were on the market this winter, which might play into Naylor's potential trade value.
None of this is to say the Guardians need to or should trade Naylor, especially when it'd separate him and his little brother Bo .
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But the circumstances at first base — Naylor being in his last year of club control, the Guardians' history with contract extensions, Manzardo possibly being ready for a larger role and Fry's injury — all might mean a trade could make sense as the club looks to bolster other parts of the roster and/or convert Naylor's value into some future pieces.
Even if dealing Naylor means the Guardians missing out on more "demon mode" days.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Josh Naylor is a possible trade target for Cleveland Guardians in 2025
