Surprising Team Could Trade For Guardians Star, But There's a Catch

One surprising team could emerge as a potential trade destination for this Cleveland Guardians star, but there is one major caveat.

Sep 25, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) retrieves the ball on an errant throw by second baseman Andres Gimenez (not pictured) in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians have a rather major decision to make with All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor this offseason.

Will they trade him? Or will they retain him for at least another year?

Naylor is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he slashed .243/.320/.456 with 31 home runs and 108 RBI over 633 plate appearances, representing a critical piece of a Guardians lineup that lacked pop overall.

However, Cleveland has been a historically frugal franchise, so it would not be shocking if the team decided to move Naylor before he hits free agency next winter.

But where could the 27-year-old land?

Well, an interesting potential destination could be emerging for Naylor: the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Danny Demilio of Pittsburgh Baseball Now thinks that Naylor would represent an ideal fit for a Pirates offense starving for power, but under one condition: that Naylor agrees to a contract extension in the process.

"The only way it makes sense for the Pirates to acquire Naylor this offseason is if they are confident they can work out an extension with him," Demilio wrote.

Much like the Guardians, the Pirates have never been known as an organization that spends money. As a matter of fact, Pittsburgh was one of the few MLB teams with a lower payroll than Cleveland in 2024, coming in at 29th (the Guardians ranked 23rd).

The chances of the Pirates surrendering valuable prospects for a good—not great—player who stands a very high chance of walking the following year are very slim, so Pittsburgh would absolutely want to ensure it extends him to avoid the whole flight risk scenario.

Of course, Cleveland will probably end up holding on to Naylor considering the Guardians just made it all the way to the ALCS, so this may all be a moot point in the end.