Guardians' surgery shocker might've made Yankees' creative trade that much tougher

Thanks to Gerrit Cole walking back his opt-out, the Yankees' offseason has once again been rocked to sleep like a slumbering baby. Expect things to pick up once again when the Winter Meetings approach, though, after Brian Cashman has laid the groundwork at this week's GM get-together.

First order of business? Show Juan Soto you're serious, and that starts by filling holes elsewhere on the roster. One of those gaps was (rightly) created last weekend when the Yankees declined Anthony Rizzo's 2025 option, agreeing to pay a $6 million buyout instead.

Though they could technically re-up with the well-liked Rizzo at a lower salary, the game seems to have passed him by more and more thoroughly by the week after the concussion he suffered at the hands of Fernando Tatis Jr. in 2023. MLB insiders, like FanSided's Robert Murray, believe the Yankees really do intend to move on here.

Bottom line? The Yankees can't go powerless at one of the game's power positions next season; they didn't have a home run from the first base spot between the last day of July and the end of the season. That July home run was DJ LeMahieu in Philadelphia. That is absurd.

They also probably can't expect to be able to make a massive Pete Alonso (or even Christian Walker) expenditure while also retaining Soto, though. So, how do the Yankees upgrade without slotting rookie Ben Rice at the position and calling it a day? Trading for a slugger entering his final year of team control with a franchise that's always churning: (gulp) Josh Naylor, who has top prospect Kyle Manzardo right behind him in Cleveland.

Will Yankees' ability to trade for Josh Naylor be affected by David Fry's surgery?

Naylor, known for berating and demeaning Gerrit Cole during his trip around the bases (in a losing effort) back in 2022, would bring left-handed slug and surprisingly balletic defense to the Yankees. He made $6.5 million last season, and will likely be due for $10+ million in 2025, but will still just about match the team's cost of Rizzo's option (Naylor arbitration + Rizzo $6 million buyout = $17 million?).

There. Done. Book it. High-level pitching prospect and 18-year-old phenom for Naylor. Call it in!

Except ... wait. Manzardo proved he deserves a big-league role next year, and Naylor's become semi-redundant approaching free agency, but heroic killer David Fry might've complicated matters this week. The Guardians announced on Monday that Fry will undergo internal brace surgery, and return to DH by the end of the 2025 season. That means reps just opened up for a bat-only Guardian, and the team probably isn't willing to commit to Jhonkensy "Big Christmas" Noel as a non-platoon starter. Can Manzardo and Naylor share reps in harmony? Is Lane Thomas, all of a sudden, the likelier Guardian-to-Yankee target?

Naylor might be a difficult chemistry fit in the Bronx, but he'd look perfect in pinstripes, doggedly pursuing the right-center gap. Hopefully, the Guardians have an alternate DH plan in place (Carlos Santana?), and the Yankees can still prey on their "final year of arbitration" insecurity to make this happen.