Guardians Now Clear Winners Of This Controversial Trade

Last offseason, the Cleveland Guardians traded Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for an intriguing pitcher and a future draft pick.

It was a controversial move at the time; the Guardians should've been looking to add to their lineup, not subtract from it.

However, a lot has changed since that deal on December 21, 2024.

Cleveland definitely still needs more offense, but when looking at this deal between the Guardians and Arizona at face value, it's pretty clear that the Guardians are the winners of the transaction.

The pitcher Cleveland got in return from the D-Backs was Slade Cecconi, the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 draft, who just never found success in the desert.

Cecconi's 2025 season was delayed to an oblique strain he suffered during spring training, but he's been one of the Guardians' best pitchers since he entered the rotation on May 17.

In 12 starts so far this season, Cecconi has a 3.76 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 110 (with 100 being average). Plus, there's still room for the right-hander to grow, which is something he's admitted.

Slade slayed.#GuardsBall | #Guardians pic.twitter.com/tDyP1doGI9
— Cleveland Guardians On SI (@GuardiansOnSI) July 10, 2025

With Cecconi under team control for the next six seasons, it certainly looks like the Guardians have found a core member of their rotation moving forward.

The draft pick Cleveland also acquired from Arizona eventually became RHP Will Hynes, a high-upside 18-year-old from Lorne Park, Ontario.

The Diamondbacks traded for Naylor, hoping that he could help them make another World Series appearance, as they did during the 2023 season. He was having a solid season with Arizona, posting an OPS of .807.

However, he's no longer in their long-term plans.

Josh Naylor looks on — Apr 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor against the Baltimore Orioles at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The D-Backs have underperformed all year and will seemingly be the marquee sellers at the trade deadline.

That all started on Thursday night as GM Mike Hazen traded Naylor to the Seattle Mariners for LHP Brandyn Garcia (Seattle's No. 13 prospect) and RHP Ashton Izzi (Seattle's No. 16 prospect).

Garcia made his MLB debut earlier this season before being optioned back to Triple-A, and Izzi is still at High-A.

An argument can definitely be made that the Guardians should have just kept Naylor because his bat would have been desperately needed in Cleveland's lineup.

However, considering what the Guardians received in return and where each team currently stands after the trade, Cleveland came out on the better side.

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