Former MLB GM Urges Guardians To Make Questionable Trade

If the MLB season ended today, the Cleveland Guardians would be back in the playoffs as one of the three Wild Card teams.

However, Cleveland's roster is far from perfect, and it's clear what area needs an upgrade: the lineup.

The Guardians traded away one of their best bats over the offseason for Slade Cecconi, who is turning into a solid starting pitcher, but they clearly still need another impact bat.

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden recently appeared on 92.3 The Fan and suggested that the Guardians consider making another trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks to re-acquire Naylor for the remainder of the season.

"You miss Josh Naylor a lot, and I'm not opposed to bringing him back either, by the way, and making a trade," said Bowden. "If Arizona has a bad month of July, I wouldn't be afraid to go bring him back for the rest of the year, either."

Josh Naylor swings at a pitch — Sep 16, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) hits a double during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

It would be pretty unconventional for the front office to trade away a player and then circle back and look to re-acquire that same player just a short time later.

But hey, the Guardians recently just did this with the Colorado Rockies and Nolan Jones. That said, those trades happened after two and a half years, not two and a half months' worth of big-league games.

Naylor would undeniably help Cleveland's lineup right now, but his arrival back in Cleveland would create an even bigger issue in Cleveland's designated hitter/first base platoon.

Assuming Carlos Santana and Kyle Manzardo are still on the roster after a hypothetical Naylor trade, at least one of them would start each game on the bench to allow Naylor's bat back in the lineup.

That doesn't even count David Fry and what happens to his at-bats. Plus, first base is CJ Kayfus' primary position, and he deserves to be playing at the big league level.

While the Guardians would definitely benefit from bringing Naylor back, there are just too many other moving pieces to see it actually come to fruition.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage