The Cleveland Guardians traded All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-hander Slade Cecconi and a 2025 competitive balance round B draft pick, the teams announced.
Naylor, 27, immediately slots in as the D-Backs' starting first baseman following Christian Walker's departure in free agency.
The native of Mississauga, Ontario, was a first-time All-Star for the Guardians last season, hitting .243/.320/.456 with a career-high 31 homers and 108 RBIs across 152 games for the AL Central champions. That slash line marked a bit of a downturn from a breakout 2023 campaign that saw him post a .842 OPS and receive some down-ballot MVP votes.
Although Naylor emerged as an important part of Cleveland's lineup and clubhouse in recent seasons, the small-market Guardians opted to trade him ahead of his reaching free agency next winter. Naylor is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $12 million through arbitration in 2025.
Originally drafted 12th overall by the Miami Marlins in 2015, Naylor made his big-league debut with the San Diego Padres four years later and was dealt to Cleveland in a blockbuster midseason trade during the 2020 season. Naylor's a lifetime .262/.323/.444 hitter with 84 homers and 343 RBIs over parts of six big-league seasons.
The Guardians moved quickly to find Naylor's replacement at first base, reportedly agreeing to a one-year, $12-million contract with veteran Carlos Santana. With Santana at first base, young slugger Kyle Manzardo will likely DH on a full-time basis.
Cecconi made his big-league debut with Arizona in 2023. The 25-year-old owns a 6.06 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with a 7.3 K/9 rate and 1.8 BB/9 rate across 27 appearances (17 starts) over the last two seasons. His four-pitch arsenal includes a fastball that averages nearly 95 mph, as well as a changeup thrown primarily to left-handed hitters.
Arizona sent the third pick of competitive balance round B to Cleveland as part of the deal. Competitive balance round B will take place following the second round of next July's draft.
