Bizarre Guardians-Blue Jays trade will fuel speculation of Reds deal for Josh Naylor

Editor's Note (Updated on 12/11/24 at 4:47 AM): Spencer Horwitz has since been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cincinnati Reds have already been linked to Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor this offseason, and after Tuesday's trade, those rumors are only going to get louder. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Guardians traded second baseman Andres Giménez and relief pitcher Nick Sandlin to the Toronto Blue Jays for infield prospect Spencer Horwitz and outfielder Nick Mitchell.

This creates a bit of logjam at first base for the Guardians. Cleveland now has Naylor, Horwitz, and Kyle Manzardo who'll all be competing for playing time. With Naylor entering his final year of arbitration at a cost of around $12 million, it's quite likely that the former All-Star will be on the move this winter.

Bizarre Guardians-Blue Jays trade will fuel speculation of Reds deal for Josh Naylor

Naylor isn't necessarily a perfect fit for the Reds. With Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Jeimer Candelario, and Spencer Steer, Cincinnati already has plenty of depth at first base. But Naylor is a known commodity who could absolutely rake at Great American Ball Park. The 27-year-old launched 31 bombs in 2024 and, according to Baseball Savant, he'd have crushed 37 at GABP.

With only one year of team control remaining, Naylor should not cost the Reds a ton in return. There's also the possibility that Cincinnati and Cleveland could work out an even bigger trade package that would include Guardians' outfielder Lane Thomas. The former Washington Nationals centerfielder is in the final year of his arbitration window as well.

While trading Giménez seems like a rather odd play on the part of the Guardians, considering that former first-round pick Travis Bazanna is waiting in the wings, it could work out rather nicely for Cleveland. The Guardians, much like the Tampa Bay Rays, are never one to cling tightly to players. Once they hit arbitration, Cleveland is already looking to move on.

In this instance, it could greatly benefit their intrastate rival. Reds fans will have to wait and see if the Guards' deal with the Blue Jays spur further conversations at this week's Winter Meetings. If so, the Reds could love Dallas with that added punch they were looking for.

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