The New York Yankees need a first baseman, and one of the options that they could pursue might be a person who has bedeviled them in the past. Josh Naylor, whom the Cleveland Guardians could move to create room for rising young stud Kyle Manzardo, who showed tons of promise in the postseason. While the “rocking the baby” moment in Game 4 of the 2022 ALDS soured the opinion Yankees fans held of Naylor, his bat is perfect for the middle of the lineup, one that now lacks star outfielder Juan Soto.
A left-handed power bat who would fit Yankee Stadium like a glove, this three-player mock trade could give the Bronx Bombers a perfect first base option for 2025.
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Josh Naylor has become one of the better first basemen in the game over the past three seasons, smashing 68 home runs with a 121 wRC+, providing consistent and reliable production as a middle-of-the-order bat. His high swing rates and electric raw power allow him to hunt fastballs and do damage early in counts, not striking out much and showing off a pretty solid hit tool as well.
The Yankees would be getting a great three-hitter who can slot right in between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, providing a left-handed jolt to break up the towering righties. Defensive Runs Saved has a less favorable view of Naylor, but Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value consistently grade him out as an above-average defender at first base, which is perfect for what the Yankees are looking for in their infield defense.
He’s no superstar, but Josh Naylor is 10th among qualified first basemen in wRC+ and eight in home runs over the past three seasons, and that’s a massive upgrade over what the Yankees had there this past season. As for what the Guardians need, the outfield and rotation are big question marks on their roster, but the Yankees could aid them in that regard.
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Will Warren is one of the names headed to Cleveland in this mock deal, as the young starter does have projectable traits thanks to a diverse arsenal and some solid pitch quality scores. His rough first stint in the big leagues is far from a large enough sample size to write him off entirely, and the Yankees still believe he’s a capable pitcher. Projections view him favorably as well, and with his unique release points and solid Stuff+ scores, there’s a lot to like from an upside standpoint.
The Guardians have a thin rotation that not only lacks backend options but depth as well, and the Yankees would provide them with a young controllable starter who they’ll definitely mold into a productive pitcher. As for the other piece in this deal, Trent Grisham and his $5 million salary head to the Guardians as he provides a good-enough bat with good defense in centerfield at a low cost.
At center field, the Guardians had the worst Outs Above Average (-7) in the American League, and Grisham is the kind of hitter who could benefit from playing on an everyday basis. He was rather uninspiring last season with the Yankees but still hit nine home runs in 76 games and is a highly capable defender out in center field. It moves Lane Thomas to a corner outfield spot and frees up $7 million for Cleveland to spend elsewhere on their roster.
It also frees up the DH spot for the Guardians to slot in Jhonkensy Noel, who displayed insane power with a 118 wRC+ and .486 SLG%.
As for the Yankees, it would give them a middle-of-the-order bat and solve a position that was horrible for them last season. Projections like Ben Rice, but they don’t like him enough to believe the Yankees are in a good spot there either. Going from a first base room that’s projected to be a bottom-10 group to adding a borderline top-10 player at the position is a win for the Bronx Bombers, and it’s only a rental situation as well.