Guardians Must Target Yankees' Enticing Prospect In Josh Naylor Trade

The Cleveland Guardians should absolutely pursue this New York Yankees prospect in trade discussions for All-Star slugger Josh Naylor.

Sep 25, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) reacts after he was hit by a foul ball in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are apparently still fielding trade offers for first baseman Josh Naylor in spite of the fact that they've already dealt Andres Gimenez, and the New York Yankees have been tabbed as a popular landing spot.

But what would the Guardians require from the Yankees in return?

Naylor's trade value may have seen a bump recently, so Cleveland would be fully within its right to ask for a decent-sized package from New York.

The Guardians should be zeroing in on one prospect in particular: outfielder Everson Pereira.

Let's be realistic: Cleveland isn't prying Jasson Dominguez away from the Yankees. Spencer Jones almost surely isn't happening, either.

But Pereira wouldn't exactly be a bad consolation prize, and while Jones is more highly touted, one can make a serious argument that Pereira projects to be the better hitter.

Pereira's 2024 campaign was cut short due to elbow surgery, but in 40 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he slashed .265/.346/.512 with 10 home runs and 27 RBI over 182 plate appearances.

In 2023, Pereira was particularly sensational, slashing .300/.373/.548 with 18 homers and 64 RBI across 343 trips to the dish between Double-A and Triple-A.

The 23-year-old owns a lifetime OPS of .855 in the minors, and he would absolutely bring some much-needed pop to a Guardians squad that could surely use it.

Additionally, Pereira's range and athleticism provides him the ability to play all three outfield positions, so he would come with some versatility, too.

Cleveland should only consider trading Naylor if it lands a very substantial return, and Pereira would definitely represent that for the Guardians.