New York Yankees Heavily Pursued Star Slugger Before Signing with NL Rival

The New York Yankees reportedly tried to land a slugging first baseman from an American League rival before he was sent elsewhere.

Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first base Josh Naylor (22) hits single during the second inning against the New York Yankees during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees roster has taken shape over the last month in the wake of losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets.

After adding a second ace to the starting rotation as well as one of the best relievers in baseball plus some serious depth to the lineup with two former National League MVP winners, there's a real case to be made that the Yankees are in a better position today to win a championship than the roster as constructed going into the World Series.

One of the significant additions to both the lineup and the infield came from arguably the best first baseman of the generation in former St. Louis Cardinals legend Paul Goldschmidt.

But according to a new report, New York was very much involved in the pursuit of a different first baseman, this one coming from an American League rival.

In an article this week detailing the post-Soto Yankees roster, Jorge Castillo of ESPN revealed the Bronx Bombers were engaged in negotiations with the Cleveland Guardians for Josh Naylor, though the two sides couldn't come to an agreement and Naylor was eventually sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks instead.

It remains to be seen how things work out, however clearly New York was looking at multiple options before finally landing on a one-year deal with Goldschmidt for $12.5 million.

Naylor and Goldschmidt had relatively similar numbers in 2024 with Naylor likely getting the edge due to his higher OPS and 31 home runs, but the big difference is of course age with Goldscmidt being a decade older than Naylor.

Both players will be free agents next year and perhaps the Yankees could revisit the idea of Naylor in free agency a year from now rather than likely difficult trade negotiations with a team they just defeated in the ALCS, especially given that Goldschmidt could be playing the final season of his career in 2025 in Pinstripes.

The left-handed Naylor would have been a perfect addition for the Yankee Stadium short porch, a fact that would be especially disappointing if Goldschmidt's offensive numbers continue on the same trajectory of the last two seasons.

Still, with Naylor turning just 28 years old this year, the possibility still exists for him to be hitting home runs in Yankee Stadium for the home team eventually.

That possibility will have to wait for now as New York tries to figure out how to rebound and get back to the World Series, this time with a very different looking roster.