REPORT: Guardians' Josh Naylor Drawing Interest From Mariners
The Cleveland Guardians have never been shy about trading away some of their best players when they're at the highest value. Just take Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger, and Trevor Bauer as the most recent examples of this.
Josh Naylor is the latest name that has popped up in rumors and reports indicating that he could moved by the Guardians organization.
Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com first reported back on December 9 that opposing teams called Cleveland indicating that they were interested in the first baseman. However, he left it that. Hoynes did not mention whether or not the Guardians were interested and actually dealing him.
Then, on Thursday, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that, "The Mariners have talked with the Guardians about Josh Naylor..."
There are certainly some pros for the Guardians to consider if they do think trading Naylor is a good idea. For one, Kyle Manzardo and Deyvison De Los Santos are ready for the Big League level and are both first basemen. However, there are plenty of cons to think about as well.
The bottom line is that Cleveland struggled a lot on offense this season. They should be looking to add more bats to their lineup, not contemplating whether or not they should be trading one away.
Jul 8, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Josh Naylor (22) hits an RBI double during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
© Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Naylor was easily one of the Guardians' best hitters this season, finishing with a slash line of .308/.354./.489 and an .843 OPS. These stats included 17 home runs and 97 RBI.
Of course, teams are going to be interested in trading for a player of this caliber, but Cleveland would be better off holding onto him.
