Two new reports suggest a slugging first baseman is on the trade block, providing an alternative to the free agent market for teams in search of power.
Both Jeff Passan of ESPN and Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor could be on the move after a career year that saw him hit 31 home runs, drive in 108, and make the American League All-Star team.
The Seattle Mariners, whose first basemen slugged a pedestrian .401 last season, were specifically mentioned by Morosi as a possible landing spot for Naylor in a trade.
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"There have been some conversations between the Mariners and the Guardians about Josh Naylor," Morosi reported. "When you think about the Mariners and how they have often struggled to produce at those key corner positions, I wonder if this could be a great fit all the way around. And you consider too the impact Naylor could have on Julio Rodriguez.
"Julio had a bit of a down year in 2024. He needs to bounce back for the Mariners to make the playoffs. Probably no better way to do that than to have Josh Naylor batting behind you."
Morosi noted that first basemen Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, and Pete Alonso are still available in free agency. But Passan, who did not specifically link Naylor to Seattle, notes the availability of Naylor and other sluggers via trade could slow or suppress the market for the veteran free agents.
"As long as teams believe Naylor and (LaMonte) Wade are available, they can stand firm on free agents and threaten to -- or actually -- pivot to trades," Passan wrote on ESPN.com Thursday.
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Naylor, 27, is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $12 million in 2025, his final season of arbitration eligibility. Trading prospects for a player a year away from free agency is always a risk for the acquiring team, who has little certainty they will be able to re-sign him at the end of the season.
The Mariners ended MLB's longest postseason drought in 2022, only to be swept in the American League Wild Card round. They slipped from 90 to 88 wins in 2023, then 85 in 2024, missing the postseason each of the last two years.
With Rodriguez and a homegrown core of starting pitchers in their prime, it makes sense for Seattle to add to its offensive firepower now. The Guardians had a league-average offense in 2024 (4.40 runs per game) and perhaps are wary of losing Naylor for nothing when he's eligible for free agency in a year.
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Recouping players who are major league ready, or close to it, in a trade for Naylor could allow the Guardians to maintain their standing among American League contenders after winning the AL Central and reaching the AL Championship Series in 2024.