CLEVELAND — The Guardians dealt Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks and signed Carlos Santana to a one-year deal Saturday night, flip-flopping first basemen while also picking up a young pitcher and a draft pick in the process.
The pitcher in question, 25-year-old Slade Cecconi , now joins the mix to earn a spot on the Guardians 2025 Opening Day roster.
As Cecconi continues his offseason program in anticipation of heading to Goodyear, Ariz. for spring camp, here are some things to know about the Guardians' newest pitcher.
Slade Cecconi might have been a high draft pick out of Trinity Prep High School in Winter Park, Fla., but a triceps injury his senior year hurt his stock, along with his clear intention to attend the University of Miami. Cecconi was drafted in the 38th round in 2018 out of high school but later became a competitive-balance first-round pick (No. 33 overall) in 2020 after pitching for the Hurricanes.
"Extension" is effectively a measurement of where a pitcher releases the ball relative to the plate. A high extension for a pitcher often means velocity can play "up" a bit. The Guardians and many other teams value pitchers with positive extensions. Cecconi, last season, was in the 64th percentile in MLB in that regard. Other Guardians pitchers with positive extension include Shane Bieber , Tanner Bibee and Triston McKenzie .
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Cecconi's fastball often sits in the mid 90s, but he's occasionally touched the upper 90s. His slider is his "out" pitch. In 2024, he threw his fastball 55% of the time and his slider 24% of the time.
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Cecconi could have a chance to compete for a spot in the Guardians starting rotation, though that race is now more crowded with Bibee, Gavin Williams , Luis Ortiz (recently acquired from the Pirates), Ben Lively , Logan Allen , McKenzie, Joey Cantillo , Doug Nikhazy and possibly others in the mix, along with Bieber once he's healthy.
Cecconi also throws a curveball and a changeup. If he operates as a starter, the development of those two pitches could be key.
Cecconi had some ups and downs in 2024, ending with an ERA north of 6.00 in 77 innings. But it wasn't because he walked hitters, as his 5.0 BB% was in the 92nd percentile in MLB.
When Cecconi made his major league debut in 2023, he became the first "Slade" to play in the majors since Slade Heathcott, who played in only 17 games for the New York Yankees in 2015. Oddly, the Diamondbacks have another top prospect — Slade Caldwell, an outfielder — with the same first name.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians acquire Slade Cecconi in Josh Naylor trade
