5 players the Cleveland Guardians should target in trade talks

3. Yandy Diaz - Tampa Bay Rays

If the Guardians are going to explore trading Josh Naylor this winter, they are going to need someone else to pair with Kyle Manzardo at first base. When it comes to possible options for them to bring into the mix, a reunion with Yandy Diaz would make sense here.

Like the previously mentioned Brandon Lowe, also a member of the Rays, Diaz would be a short-term addition to the Guardians. Diaz carries a $10 million salary in 2025 with a $12 million club option for 2026, providing some roster flexibility should the team want to go in a different direction following the upcoming season.

Diaz saw his numbers dip from his career-best year in 2023, going from a .330/.410/.522 slash line with 35 doubles and 22 home runs, to slashing .281/.341/.414 with 31 doubles and 14 home runs in 2024. The performance at the plate this past season is a more accurate representation of his abilities than the 2023 campaign and should serve as the line on which to base expectations moving forward.

Bringing Diaz back to Cleveland would go a long way toward closing the talent gap between themselves and the two teams that participated in the World Series. The Guardians clearly did not have enough offense to overtake the New York Yankees, and finding a way to bring more thump to their lineup should be near the top of their priorities list, and reacquiring Diaz would help them accomplish exactly that.