Well, you can take Josh Naylor off your list of potential Cincinnati Reds' trade targets. The Cleveland Guardians dealt their longtime first baseman and former Terry Francona pupil to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for former first-round selection Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick.
Naylor was said to be on the Reds' radar this offseason, though the fit seemed somewhat odd. Naylor is landlocked at first base; a position where Cincinnati is oozing talent. The Reds have Spencer Steer, Jeimer Candelario, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand on the roster, and the odds are good that one of them will be Cincinnati's Opening Day first baseman in 2025.
But the Reds desperately need an outfielder and the Guardians have a pretty good one on their roster at the moment. Lane Thomas, who Cleveland is reportedly shopping this offseason, would be the perfect fit for a Cincinnati squad in need of a right-handed bat.
Josh Naylor trade opens the door for Reds to take advantage of Guardians' sell-off
The Guardians acquired Thomas from the Washington Nationals last summer, sending three prospects back to our nation's capital in return. Thomas has a career .247/.313/.428 slash line with a 107 OPS+. Thomas' splits show a tremendous uptick in production against left-handed pitching; something the Reds desperately need. Thomas' career-OPS is 200 points better against southpaws than when facing right-handed pitchers.
The versatile outfielder could be deployed in either center or right field based on the pitching matchup. Though he has amazing arm strength, poor reads have led to some below-average defensive metrics throughout Thomas' career. A lack of defensive acumen would definitely raise some red flags based on the Cincinnati's recent focus on upgrading the team's overall defense, but it's Thomas' bat that could push the Reds to make a deal.
The Reds have already been linked to Thomas this offseason, and it's time for Nick Krall to make a move. The Guardians have now traded Naylor and second baseman Andres Gimenez. The next logical step is to deal Thomas, and the Reds cannot afford to sit on their hands any longer.