'Diamondbacks add 1B Josh Naylor to roster from Guardians'
On Saturday, multiple sources reported that the Cleveland Guardians traded All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi.
As part of the deal, Cleveland will also receive Arizona's 2025 Competitive Balance Round B draft pick. Shortly after the trade was announced, the Guardians signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year, $12 million contract, according to multiple reports.
Last season, Naylor earned his first All-Star selection and had a career-high 31 home runs and 108 RBIs in 152 games. He will fill the void left by Christian Walker, who reportedly signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Houston Astros on Friday.
Naylor, 27, was originally drafted in the first round by the Miami Marlins in 2015. In his six seasons, he has hit 84 home runs and has a .444 slugging percentage and .767 OPS in 598 games.
Cecconi, 25, had a 6.66 ERA in 20 appearances, including 13 starts, for Arizona last season. He also had a 3.06 ERA in 18 games with five starts for Class AAA Reno in 2024.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound pitcher was selected by the Diamondbacks in the Competitive Balance Round A in 2020 from the University of Miami. In three minor league seasons, Cecconi has a 20-19 record with a 4.73 ERA.
Santana, 38, has spent 10 of his 15 major league seasons with Cleveland. He has a career batting average of .242 and has hit 324 home runs in 7,400 at-bats.
Last season, Santana played in 150 games for the Minnesota Twins, batting .238 with 23 home runs and 71 RBIs.
