The Diamondbacks are buying first baseman Josh Naylor from the Guardians for right-hander Slade Cecconi and a Aggressive Steadiness Spherical B draft decide, in line with a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Jon Heyman of the New York Publish first reported {that a} deal between the perimeters involving Naylor was shut. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the draft decide’s inclusion within the deal.
An All-Star for the primary time in 2024, Naylor hit a strong .243/.320/.456 (118 wRC+) with a career-high 31 homers in 152 video games for the Guardians this previous 12 months. That continues a three-year run of strong manufacturing from Naylor in Cleveland, as he’s posted a good higher .267/.330/.465 (121 wRC+) slash line since turning into an everyday fixture of the Guardians’ lineup in 2022. Along with that strong 20-to-30 homer energy Naylor has displayed, he’s posted spectacular contact numbers with a strikeout price of simply 15.6% throughout the previous three seasons. He’s paired that low strikeout price with an bettering stroll price that reached 9.2% in 2024. In Arizona, the 27-year-old Naylor joins an offense that not solely misplaced Christian Walker at first base when he landed in Houston on a three-year deal earlier this week but in addition figures to offer the left-handed pop the membership misplaced when DH Joc Pederson elected free company final month.
He’s a strong match for that position, although with free company only one season a approach at an arbitration wage that MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz tasks to land at $12MM he lacks the excess worth extra enticing commerce targets usually provide. That growing price ticket in arbitration mixed with the presence of teenager Kyle Manzardo as an apparent successor at first made Naylor considerably expendable for the Guardians, nonetheless, and this night’s addition of veteran first baseman Carlos Santana to the Cleveland lineup on a one-year deal means that the Guardians could have most well-liked to reallocate Naylor’s projected wage and taking part in time to the 15-year MLB veteran.
In change for parting methods with the slugger they’ve added some draft capital and an intriguing younger arm in Cecconi. Aggressive Steadiness Spherical B encompassed the 66th by 73rd picks within the 2024 draft. As famous by MLB.com’s Joe Trezza, the Guardians already had the primary decide of Aggressive Steadiness Spherical B in 2025. Now, the membership will get a second decide in that very same spherical because the Diamondbacks had been slated to choose third behind Cleveland and Baltimore.
In the meantime, Cecconi is a former first-round choice by the Diamondbacks who has pitched in components of the final two seasons for the membership however has but to determine himself within the majors. He flashed league common numbers in an up-and-down position with Arizona in 2023, pitching to a 4.33 ERA (102 ERA+) with a 4.37 FIP in 27 innings unfold between 4 begins and three reduction appearances. These numbers took a tumble in an extended stint with the large league membership this 12 months, nonetheless. Cecconi struggled to a 6.66 ERA (63 ERA+) in 77 innings of labor. Whereas his 5.02 FIP was considerably higher, that determine was nonetheless properly beneath league common. Cecconi loved a wonderful 5% stroll price within the majors final 12 months, however his 18.9% strikeout price was lackluster and he allowed an eye-popping 16 homers in simply 20 video games.
Extra to return…
