3. To keep or trade Josh Naylor?
This has been a discussion that has been going on for quite some time, and the expectation should be that it will continue until a decision has been made. The Cleveland Guardians are in a position where they must determine if they are going to keep or even extend Josh Naylor this offseason or look to trade him in an effort to continue their organizational philosophy of trading players before they hit free agency.
The only difference between Naylor and some others who have been moved in the past is that he is not the bonafide star that those players were. The return Cleveland would get may not be close to what they have received for those stars and that should be considered in their thought process here.
Another factor to take into account here is the presence of Kyle Manzardo. Yes, Manzardo is younger and less expensive, and that could ultimately be how Naylor's future is determined. But to hand the first base job to an inexperienced option without having a capable veteran in a supporting role would not be wise.
Has Naylor been a frustrating player to watch at times? Absolutely, no one is stating otherwise. But Naylor seems like a person who has shown elite capabilities but lacks consistency, it really seems like he is a year or two away from putting it all together and that is exactly the type of player the Guardians will be better off having in their lineup rather than trading away.