The Cleveland Guardians traded All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-hander Slade Cecconi and a 2025 competitive balance round B draft pick, the teams announced.
Naylor, 27, immediately slots in as the D-Backs’ starting first baseman following Christian Walker’s departure in free agency.
The native of Mississauga, Ontario, was a first-time All-Star for the Guardians last season, hitting .243/.320/.456 with a career-high 31 homers and 108 RBIs across 152 games for the AL Central champions. That slash line marked a bit of a downturn from a breakout 2023 campaign that saw him post a .842 OPS and receive some down-ballot MVP votes…