Guardians fan favorite named as top trade chip this offseason

The Cleveland Guardians haven’t had many mainstays in their lineup over the past few seasons, and one of them could be on the move soon.

Josh Naylor was named as the team’s top trade chip in a Bleacher Report article by Zachary D. Rymer on Friday, and it’s not that far-fetched of an idea.

It would certainly sting to see Naylor leave.

He’s been below-average in the field at first base, but that’s been easy to overlook with what he’s done at the plate.

Naylor is fresh off a regular season in which he swatted a career-high 31 home runs and he’s maintained an on-base percentage of .319 or better for three straight seasons.

The only current Guardians players who have been as dependable as that over the past three seasons are Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan.

And it’s hard not to root for Naylor with his signature rock-the-baby celebration and the passion that he brings to the table.

But trading him makes a lot of sense, especially considering the team’s roster construction and current needs.

“If the Guardians are at least willing to listen on Naylor this winter, it wouldn’t be for the first time,” writes Rymer. “He was briefly the subject of trade rumors last winter as well. The 27-year-old went on to hit 31 home runs and rack up 108 runs batted in this season, so keeping him was clearly the right call. But it may not be a call the Guardians make again, as his projected $12 million salary for 2025 is a bit steep by their standards.”

Rymer goes on to explain that Naylor is as expendable as he’s ever been with the emergence of Kyle Manzardo, and the team’s need for another starting pitcher could make this a trade worth making.

However, the calculus of this potential trade could change depending on what Cleveland does with its expiring contracts.

Shane Bieber, Matthew Boyd, and Alex Cobb will all be unrestricted free agents this offseason. If Cleveland opts to bring at least two of them back, it could fill out its rotation by turning to promising prospect Joey Cantillo or adding another pitcher via free agency.

That would seem to be a better gamble than hoping that Manzardo — who batted .234 with five home runs across 145 at-bats this season — could come close to replacing Naylor’s production at the plate.

But using Naylor as a trade chip is certainly something to keep in mind as this offseason begins to unfold.

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