Reviewing the Deadline Moves: Josh Naylor

From the moment the Diamondbacks paid the hefty price of sending Slade Cecconi to Cleveland in exchange for on-base machine first baseman, Josh Naylor, the countdown to Naylor’s departure started. This is Naylor’s contract year and, even if the Diamondbacks made another trip to the World Series this year, the likelihood of a reunion with Naylor beyond this season was as close as one could get to zero without actually reaching it. As such, when Arizona clearly fell out of any sort of meaningful contention for the playoffs, Naylor instantly became one of Arizona’s biggest trade chips. While it was perhaps a bit surprising to see Naylor representing the first move made by Arizona, the move helped to set the table for the following trades and also established a strong baseline for expected future returns.

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