The Cleveland Guardians have made several trades this offseason, and perhaps their most notable one was sending first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But prior to completing the deal with the Diamondbacks, the Guardians nearly dealt Naylor to a fierce American League rival: the New York Yankees.
"The Yankees engaged in discussions with the Cleveland Guardians on Josh Naylor, but the two sides couldn't come to a resolution, according to a source, before Naylor was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks," wrote Jorge Castillo of ESPN.
New York ultimately signed former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt after missing out on Naylor.
The Guardians receiver harsh criticism for the Naylor deal, especially considering that the return they received from him was minimal.
Naylor slashed .243/.320/.456 with 31 home runs and 108 RBI over 633 plate appearances in 2024, earning his first All-Star appearance.
However, with 27-year-old having just one year left on his deal, Cleveland opted to move Naylor before losing him for nothing in free agency next offseason.
It has been a recurring theme for the Guardians, who rarely hand out lucrative long-term extensions. It has also been a source of frustration for the fan base.
Cleveland fans have been even more agitated this offseason, as the Guardians just won the AL Central and made it all the way to the ALCS. Unfortunately, they haven't made any major additions to significantly bolster the roster this winter.
We'll see if Cleveland's young players can step up and lead the Guardians to another division title in 2025.
