Guardians Rumors: Seattle Mariners eyeing Cleveland's first baseman

The future of Josh Naylor in Cleveland has been in question for some time, with mostly rumors of the Guardians being willing to listen to trade offers. But now, it appears that the Guardians have advanced from general listening to potential trades.

According to a report from MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Guardians and Seattle Mariners have had some discussions about a potential trade, and Naylor's name has come up. Seattle is looking to improve their first base situation, and Naylor would clearly do that if acquired by the Mariners. Seattle is not putting all their eggs in one basket, however, as they are exploring every option available to them.

There was some hope that the Guardians would keep Naylor following Cleveland's trade activity last week that sent Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays, but that is not the case. It was reported that the Guardians were still listening to offers on Naylor and Lane Thomas despite freeing up a not-insignificant amount of money, now and in the future, with Gimenez off the books.

No one is faulting the Guardians for listening to offers for Naylor, considering it has been part of the way they have operated for quite some time. There is a certain financial sweet spot Cleveland prefers to operate in, and players with projected arbitration salaries over $10 million one year away from free agency, like Naylor, are usually traded with some regularity.

If Naylor is traded, the Guardians would have to find a way to replace his offensive production. Naylor drove in 108 runs while hitting 31 home runs and 27 doubles with a .243/.320/.456 slash line, resulting in a 118 OPS+. Cleveland does have internal options, mainly Kyle Manzardo, but Jhonkensy Noel could also see some time at first as well.

By taking Naylor out of the equation it would help clear up the logjam at first and DH while making the outfield a little less crowded. Losing the offensive output wouldn't be ideal, but it would provide a bit more clarity on the construction of their major league roster, and that could result in the Guardians pulling the trigger on a trade that is unlikely to be popular.