Guardians Opinion: Pros, Cons Of Josh Naylor Trade

Why would the Cleveland Guardians trade Josh Naylor?

There has been a recent report from Cleveland.com's Paul Hoynes that said opposing teams have shown interest in trading for Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor.

Now, let's be clear. A report saying that another team is interested in a player does not mean the Guardians are actively shopping Naylor or he's on the trade block.

It's almost impossible to think of a scenario where the Guardians trade a player such as Naylor and immediately get better with the pieces to help them win now. Trading him is not the best for the short-term or long-term of the team.

But for the sake of the reports, here is a list of pros and cons that could come along with a Naylor trade. 

Pros Of Josh Naylor Trade

1. Naylor's Trade Value

Naylor's trade value will never be higher. If the Guardians do want to trade him, now's the time to do it. He's coming off a career season where he finished with a slash line of .308/.354/.489 and still has two seasons of team control. 

Jul 14, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

2. Guardians' Next Wave

The Guardians traded for 1B Kyle Manzardo at last year's trade deadline and he looks like a legit prospect ready for the big leagues. Cleveland also drafted Deyvison De Los Santos in last week's Rule 5 draft and he has some first base experience as well.

Cleveland has several players ready to step up in the event of a Naylor trade.

Cons Of Josh Naylor Trade

1. Naylor-Ramirez Duo

Jose Ramirez is a better hitter with Josh Naylor in the lineup and vice versa. That was made clear this season when Naylor missed a month of the season with an oblique injury. 

The Guardians have been searching for protection for Ramirez for several seasons. They finally found it. Why would they turn around and immediately trade that away?

2. Lockerroom Leader

Cleveland will once again enter the season with one of the youngest rosters in baseball. With that, they are lacking major league experience and leadership. 

Naylor is an emotional, loud, and passionate player who is clearly a leader in that Guardians locker room. He even just won the Tip O'Neill Award which is earned by a "Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals."

Trading that away does not send the rest of the roster a great message.

3. Heart Of Cleveland's Offense

Josh Naylor has always had plenty of potential, it was always about tapping into it. That's exactly what happened last season as he put up career highs across the board. He hit the second-most home runs on the team (17) and finished with the most RBI (97).

Cleveland's front office has been open about needing to acquire more offense, so why would they trade arguably their best bat away?