Do not be surprised if the Cleveland Guardians keep Josh Naylor

Of the players who could be traded this winter, Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor should garner plenty of attention. Naylor is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season is over, and that is usually a telltale sign that someone will be traded in Cleveland. Even though it seems like history will repeat itself again on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario, that may not turn out to be the case.

Appearing as part of a mailbag article on The Athletic, Jim Bowden answered a question about the chances of Naylor being dealt this offseason and whether or not there would be a way to replace his offensive production.

"Because the Guardians made it all the way to the ALCS last season, I think they’re going to try to run it back in 2025 with basically the same team and keep Naylor for the reason you mentioned. The Guardians want to improve their starting rotation and would like another corner bat. They want to add a power bat to the middle of their lineup rather than subtract from it."

Jim Bowden on Josh Naylor

There are some pretty good points made here from Bowden, it is the last sentence that rings the loudest. Adding a power bat to the lineup rather than removing one should be the main takeaway for anyone reading his analysis of the situation. It is about realizing that they need to close the offensive output gap between themselves and the two ballclubs who competed in the World Series.

When it comes to where the corner bat Bowden mentions Cleveland is looking for, there is only one position it could be. With Jose Ramirez on third, Naylor and Kyle Manzardo at first base and designated hitter, and Kwan in left field, right field is the only spot that could be filled. The Guardians do have Jhonkensy Noel, who can play right field, but it is probably better that he doesn't. Finding someone who can play right field and be a source of power while having Noel and Manzardo split time at DH with the occasional appearance at first when Naylor needs a day off his feet may be the best way to maximize their current roster makeup. But before any of those scenarios can be considered, the Guardians have to commit to keeping Naylor and adding another bat capable of being a steady source of power.