Josh Naylor's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Arizona Diamondbacks are acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick. Naylor has spent the past four seasons with Cleveland after making his major league debut in San Diego. Last summer, the 27-year-old posted a .243/.320/.456 slash line with 31 home runs, 27 doubles, and 108 RBI. He also swiped six bags. Under the hood, he generated an above average .335 xwOBA, and a .443 xSLG. In addition, he also posted a solid 16.6% K rate. Naylor has been a great RBI producer as he has tallied at least 97 RBI in each of the past two seasons. With Christian Walker now playing in Houston, fantasy managers should expect Naylor to see the vast majority of starts at first base in the desert. He should see similar RBI production batting behind Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. Cecconi has held a career 6.06 ERA across 104 major league innings and will likely compete for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor has been mentioned in trade talks between the Guardians and Seattle Mariners this offseason, according to sources. Naylor is one of multiple names under consideration by the Mariners as they look for an offensive upgrade at first base. Free-agent first baseman Christian Walker is another name that the Mariners could consider as they look for another bat this winter. The 27-year-old Naylor was a first-time All-Star in 2024 and finished with career-highs in home runs (31), RBI (108) and runs scored (84) while stealing six bases and slashing .243/.320/.456 with a .776 OPS in a career-high 152 regular-season games. His drop in average can be attributed to him facing more left-handers over the course of a full season. Repeating his 30-homer season will be difficult, especially if he heads to T-Mobile Park with less protection in the lineup.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that the Cleveland Guardians are open to trade offers for first baseman Josh Naylor and outfielder Lane Thomas, both of whom are entering their walk years. Naylor is projected to earn $12 million in salary arbitration, while Thomas is at $8.3 million. Cleveland has concerns in their outfield, but they just landed Thomas in a midseason trade in 2024. Naylor, on the other hand, has emerged as one of the team's most valuable position players while also being a leader in the clubhouse. If Naylor were dealt, Kyle Manzardo would be the obvious replacement for Naylor at first base in Cleveland. The small-market organization has already lost left-hander Matthew Boyd to free agency, and right-handers Shane Bieber and Alex Cobb could be next. Naylor had a career year for the Guards in 2024, but his struggles against left-handed pitching remains an issue.